A wedding
by T.L. Long
Summary: Ranma and Akane attempt to deal with the others as they get closer to a wedding date. Yet, unknown to them the others already know of the engagement and are dealing with the knowledge in their own unique ways. Fifth Chapter up
1. Chapter 1 Dream a little dream

Ramna ½: A Wedding

Disclaimer:  I don't own it. It ain't mine. Don't sue me, I already owe to much money as it is.

Chapter One

"But in your dreams whatever they be,

Dream a little dream of me."

-_Dream a Little Dream_, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald

            Ranma awoke with a start; arms and legs flailing wildly, they instinctively reached out for something solid to hold on to.  His hands found the blanket, as he sat up, _It's_ real, _he thought.  Ranma drew in a deep breath. _

            "It was a dream," his shoulders rolled forward as his head slumped between his knees, "Just a dream."  But what dream?  Ranma desperately tried to hold on to it, grasp a mental picture in his head that would anchor the dream in his mind.  Yet the harder he tried to remember it the faster it seemed to slip away.

            "Happen again?" His father hunched down as he rolled up his sleeping mat, to put it away for the day. "You know that's the third time this week."

            "Yeah, I know," Ranma said, as he looked down at his hands.  He was griping the covers so tight that his knuckles were white.

            "Still can't remember it?"

            "No, Pop, I can't.  It goes away as soon as I wake up."

            "Ranma, I can not allow this to continue," Genma said, stepping on his son's neck, and forcing his head back down into the futon.  "A true martial artist faces his fears.  I order you to go to the dojo and meditate on your dreams until you can figure out what has gotten you so terrified.  It pains me to know that I have such a coward for a son…."

            A sudden splash of water from the pail that Ranma kept at his bedside just for such tirades initiated a premature finish to Genma's speech.  "For someone who won't go home because he's afraid of mom, you ain't got much room to speak, pop," Ranma bit as he stood up to walk out of the room, flipping his father onto his back in the process.  

            He had to leave, and soon, before he lost his temper.  He lost it for the first time, in his battle with Saffron.  That is truly lost it.  So angry that he still could not remember the details of the fight; and the result terrified him.  There was no way he would place himself in anything remotely akin to that situation again.

            The panda behind him cringed, cuddled his favorite ball and held up a sign. _That's not fair!  Your dreams don't have sharp pointy swords! _

            "Whatever," Ranma said as he closed the door.

            Akane lounged at the table with her father and sisters, as the three sat down for breakfast.  She sat quietly, not really eating but rather pushing her rice around her bowl.  Her mind had been reeling since their return from China, full of questions, thoughts, but more importantly, feelings that were floating around her head in a jumble, trying to form thoughts and sentences.  It did not help that Ranma had been avoiding her of late.  Akane didn't know why but over the course of the past few days he had not said more than a handful of words to her.  The resulting silence had finally permeated the rest of the household, as the other Tendo's sat and quietly ate, except for Nabiki, who with pen and paper was diligently pouring over the family's expenses.  Soun read his paper while he ate, wanting to break the silence, but not sure exactly how, being the only male in a family of females

            "Nabiki," Kasumi said, "Have you decided where you will be attending school next year?"

            Nabiki looked up from her accounts and figures, "Not yet, both Kyoto and Tokyo have great programs, but my third choice has offered more scholarships than those two."

            "Oh," Soun said, looking up at her from the top of his folded down paper.  What school could possibly compete with Kyoto and Tokyo? Things might have changed a bit, but weren't those the two best schools in the nation?  "And what school might this be Nabiki?"

            "Harvard," Nabiki scribbled another figure in her ledger, "They are offering me 780,000 more yen a semester to attend there."

            "Harvard," Soun said, slamming his paper into the table, "But isn't that in the States?"

            "Gee," Nabiki lifted her eyes off of the ledger for a moment, "and all this time I though it was in Okinawa, Silly me."

            "Goodness," Kasumi said, covering her mouth with her hand, "why would you want to go so far away?"

            "Because, it has the best School of Business," Nabiki scribbled another figure into her ledger.

           "But won't you loose all of your connections here in Japan?"  Kasumi asked as she poured her father a cup of coffee.

            Nabiki cocked her head to the side for a moment.  In Japanese business, one's personal connections were infinitely more important than any other resource one might possess.  Losing those connections while studying abroad might seriously handicap her future.  "I've thought about that, but there is also a good possibility that I could get a job with an American firm trying to break in to the Japanese market.  And in an American firm I would be advanced based on my merits, not by my hire date.  So even though going to a Japanese school would be more stable, Harvard might have a greater payoff."

            "My Nabiki is going to go away to the States," Tears poured out of Soun's eyes, "and Akane's getting married.  Soon I'll be old and alone in this big house by myself."

            Nabiki rolled her eyes, "I never said I was going for sure, I just said that it was an option."

            Kasumi coughed, it was time to change the subject. "Akane, how is Ranma?  He looks like he hasn't slept very well over the past few days."

            Kasumi's question was followed by the sudden snap of Akane's chopsticks breaking. "I don't know," she said, as she sprang to her feet, "the jerk won't talk to me anymore.  As far as I'm concerned, he can just go rot.  It's not like I give a damn about that Pervert anyway."

            Akane whirled around to stop out of the room, only to find Ranma standing in the doorway, a pained look upon his face.  "Ranma, I'm…" she said, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.  Ranma didn't say a word; instead he stepped past her and out the door to the back yard.  

            _He didn't even call me an un-cute tomboy, Akane thought as a worried look crept up on her face._

            "No," Nabiki said her pencil scribbling in a fluid motion, "it's not like you care at all."

            A single bead of sweat rolled towards the tip of Ranma's nose as he rebounded off the north wall from a spinning crescent and landed in a crouch in the center of the dojo.  Drawing in several ragged breaths he watched as the drop fell to the floor.  _Akane was right, _Ranma thought back to all the times she had asked him to spar with her.

            "Damn it Ranma, hold still!" she had said, throwing punches at him wildly as he flipped about her, "How am I supposed to relieve stress when you won't even fight me?"

            A slight smile creped into his cheeks,_ This does relieve stress.  _Sweat seeped out of Ranma's skin, cleansed the impurities from his soul, as his anger, self doubt, hurt and sadness washed through his pores, leaving his mussels limp and tired. 

             _I'm ready_, he thought as he rocked back onto the floor, crossing his legs in front of him, _now let's see if I can work this dream business out._

            Ranma closed his eyes, and slowly turned off his senses one by one.  The world was an externality, a distraction.  There was no great enemy to face this time.   No heroic battle.  It was just himself, the only person Ranma had not faced during his stay at the dojo.  The one person he had yet to defeat.  And so, Ranma turned his minds eye to the inside, and prepared to do battle with himself.  His mind so enthralled by the trance that he never heard the door to the dojo close.

            Akane walked back to the kitchen, as quiet as she could manage so as not to disturb Ranma.  She knew that he would be annoyed if he had noticed her watching him, but she couldn't help it, she was worried.  _He's changed since Saffron, she thought, her head bowed slightly as she stepped.  Her eyes wandered back for a moment to the dojo, _Ranma, why won't you talk to me about this?__

            "Hello, Lover," a feminine voice whispered from behind Ranma, as a small pair of hands slid past his shoulders and over his chest.  "I've been waiting for you."

            Ranma instinctively pushed out of the girl's arms, and backed away before Akane walked in and clobbered him.  "What the…Shampoo… Who?" Ranma asked, turning around to face the intruder for the first time.  He was half expecting to see Shampoo's purple hair and lithe form standing before him, a surprise glomping or embrace had her handy work all over it.  Instead standing before him was a petite girl with red hair, and blue eyes; wearing a red Chinese shirt and black pant outfit identical to the one Ranma was wearing.  It was his girl half.  "You!  But how did you get back out?  Cologne said that that the sunlight caused us to merge back into one," Ranma's eyes narrowed into little slits, "The old man hasn't been playing around with that soul splitting incense again has he?"

            Ranma-chan guffawed as she walked across the room, "Have we really become that paranoid over the past two years?" Sitting down in front of Ranma she cocked her head to the side and thought for a second, "But then with all we've been through who could really blame us?"

            "Then why did you come here?" Ranma asked, shifting back to a sitting position.

            "I didn't" Ranko smiled sweetly, "you came here looking for me, Lover."

            "What? Why would I come looking for you, I mean me…I mean… Whatever."

            "That's easy," a coy smile drifted onto Ranko's face, "you came looking for me because I've been trying my damnedest to get your attention for the past few weeks.  You're almost as thick headed as Akane thinks we are, did you know that?"

            "Get my attention?"

            "Lord, Lover, what did you think the dreams were for?"

             "I don't know," he said, "I don't remember them when I wake up."

            Ranko raised one eyebrow, "Really?  Well in that case you and I have a lot to do," she said as she stood to her feet. With her small hands she reached out, grasped Ranma's wrist, and pulled him up.

            "Hey where are you taking me," he said as she pushed him through the dojo door.

            "Don't worry, Lover" she replied, "I've got something I want to show you."

            Kasumi stood at the sink, washing the breakfast dishes, when she noticed her sister walk in.  She had the 'storm cloud' look again, at least that had become Kasumi's pet name for this particular mood, when Akane became so frustrated and angry that you could see the lightning flash behind her eyes.  "Akane, what's wrong?" Kasumi asked, hoping that the answer to whatever was behind that look didn't involve any type of food preparation on Akane's behalf.

            "Nothing" Akane said, her eyes never once rising to meet her sisters as she walked to the refrigerator.  She opened it slowly, reached in and grabbed a bottle of milk, hesitated for a second, and then returned it back to its place on the shelf.  Without saying a single word, she strode across the kitchen, towards her sister.   Her arms wrapped around Kasumi's waist, as Akane buried her head in her older sister's chest, and cried.  Kasumi stood for a moment in silence, not knowing what to say, doing the only thing she could think of, and held her little sister while she sobbed uncontrollably.

            Ranma and Ranko stood in the middle cave.  Ranma was doing his best to control his anger, and was failing miserably as he yelled at his girl half, "This is Saffron's cave isn't it?  What in the hell are we doing here."

            "I told you," she replied coolly "I want to show you something."

            "What could possibly be so important that you would have to drag me all the way back…"

            "This," Ranko pointed, across the cave to a heap of blue and white in the corner.

            "Oh, God, no." he breathed, as he pushed past Ranko and dashed towards the other side of the cave.  His apprehension grew with each step that he took as his mind struggled to process the new information his eyes were receiving.  The first thing he noticed was a shoulder, then two feet covered by Mary-Jane's.  By the time that he could see the short hair, he already knew it was Akane. He reached out to touch her, hold her in his arms, but she was cold.  "Akane wake up," he said as he took her into his arms.  She wasn't breathing.  He shook her hard, "Come on Tomboy, you can't do this to me."  Her head rolled limply to the side, "You can't do this to me; you can't leave me."  Tears dripped from his eyes and onto her cheeks as he cradled her in his arms.

            "Hurts don't it, Love?"

            Ranma gently laid Akane back on the ground, while his aura manifested around him, cold as ice. "You already know the answer to that," he said, spinning around faster that one would think possible.

            Akane was dead, it was his fault, and she was gloating about it.  He wanted to hurt her, make her suffer like he was suffering, and so he attacked. With a cold, calculating fury he probed her defenses, looking for an opening, but finding none.  His girl half was more agile, slightly faster, and better at dodging then his boy half.  Ranma would kick, only to find Ranko had moved out of range, he would punch only to have it blocked.  "Why did he have to do it?  Why couldn't he just back down?  I didn't want to, but I saw her here like this and it hurt, and I couldn't stop him…"

            "But why does it hurt so much?" She asked as she sidestepped a snap-kick.

            "I don't know," he screamed at her, sensing an opening he lunged at her, throwing all of his weight behind the punch so as to deliver the coup de grace.

            Ducking under and to the right of the blow, Ranko tapped her boy half on the shoulder, "Don't look down," she whispered in his ear, as he flew past.

            "What?" he asked.  Ignoring his girl half's advice, Ranma glanced at the cavern floor below him, and was quickly overcome by a falling sensation.

            P-chan trailed Akane as she shambled back to her room, her breath broken by sobs, as tears trickled from her red eyes.  The little black piglet was worried about her, but considering the fact that he had been in love with her for the past two years, his concern was not all that surprising.  There was a pattern to their relationship, Akane and Ranma would get into a fight, her fiancé would say or do something that upset her, and P-chan would follow her back to her room to console her.  Sometimes she would yell and scream about what a jerk he was, others she would cry into her pillow.  No mater what the result though, it was constantly Ranma's fault, no one else could hurt her so badly.

            Each time P-chan sat and listened to her it was as if someone had thrust a dagger in his heart and twisted the blade.  Yet his pain wasn't just because she ached so badly. Rather it was that she always went back to him, no matter how much he hurt her.  Tomorrow Ranma would face Kuno, Mouse, or some other slightly bent martial artist that had wondered in to town, and Akane would be there by his side, supporting him.  Meanwhile, whether it is as P-chan, her pet; or Ryoga, the perpetual lost boy she called friend; he would be regulated to the sidelines, until she needed someone to help pick up the pieces again.  What could he say?  He loved her to much to leave, and so he followed Akane into her room, and waited for the knife to come.

            "Oh, P-chan," Akane said, as she reached down to pick up the little black Piglet, "What am I going to do this time?"

            "Bwee?" the piglet grunted as he nuzzled Akane gently with his snout.

            "He won't even talk to me," she said as she set P-chan on her pillow, "Usually when he's angry he's yelling at me or teasing me; calling me 'un-cute', or 'Tomboy'.  I get mad at him, he gets mad at me, and by morning we forget about it.  He's not doing it this time."

            "Bwee."

            "God," she grabbed the nearest object she could find and hurled it across the room, the picture frame shattered on impact with her closet door, "It's just so frustrating."

             "I hear him scream at night from the nightmares," Akane said as she collapsed to her knees, "I can hear him scream my name, so I know they are about me, but he keeps pushing me away when I ask about them."

            "Bwee"

            Akane looked across the room at the picture frame on the floor.  It was a photo of the two of them eating at U-chan's.  They were sitting at the grill, at their usual spot, for Saturday lunch.  Ukyo, stood behind the counter.  The chef and Ranma were carrying on an easy conversation while Akane leaned on the counter and watched.  She was jealous of how he found it simple to talk to Ukyo.  Their conversations seemed to come natural, flowing from topic to topic in a steady stream of words.  There did not seem to be anything that he could not talk to her about.  With Akane and her fiancé however, it was different.  The words were forced, and choppy.  Even when she wanted to thank him or comfort him, their conversations developed into arguments.  Only now they weren't even doing that.

            "I don't think he likes me anymore," she turned around and looked back at P-chan, "maybe I should break the engagement.  So that he can have someone he can talk to.  Someone like Ukyo."  Akane reached out, and pulled the black piglet close to her, as her eyes threatened to spill out into tears yet again.  

            "Bwee?" P-chan was shocked, for the past two years Akane had ranted, raved, and threatened Ranma's life, but in all that time she had never once discussed breaking off her engagement with him in their talks in her room.  Sure, she had yelled it at him in public on several occasions, but in the sanctuary of her room, when she thought no one else was listening, she had never once considered the option, but now…

            Akane drew in a slow breath, and sighed, "That seems to be the only thing left to do, I've tried everything else."

            "Bwee," P-chan snorted in agreement.

            "I'll tell him as soon as he finishes his workout," she said, gently setting the pig down on the ground before standing up.  "I probably look like a mess; I should go wash up first."  Akane opened the door to her room, and stepped out into the hallway. "P-chan, thank you for listening, it helped."

            "Bwee" the piglet grunted, his cheeks burning bright red.  _This is it_, he thought,_ When she calls of the engagement I can finally tell her how I feel._  P-chan sank to the floor, giddy in his relief and joy, for the first time in two years, the knife had not come.

            The cave had shifted, the ground beneath Ranma and Ranko had given way and now they were falling in what seemed to be a bottomless pit.  The Saotome school of Anything Goes specialized in Arial combat, however, and the pair was still trading blows, verbally and physically as they plummeted to the earth.

            "I can't believe you had the gall to show me that," Ranma said as he fired a snap kick to Ranko's temple.

            "You still haven't answered my question," Ranko's hand slipped over the top of Ranma's shin.  With a flick of her hand she flipped herself so that she was falling slightly above her boy-half, "Why did it hurt?"

            "I told you I don't know why it hurt," Ranma's hand circled around in a ridge-hand, "It just did, ok?  It's not like I've got feelings for the tomboy or anything."

            "Really," Ranko arched her back slightly, as Ranma's hand missed her nose by less than half an inch. "Then how do you explain that?" Ranko asked, her hand pointing behind Ranma, just over his left shoulder.  Ranma looked, and instantly comprehended that somehow his girl-half had taken him to a different location, the cavern beneath Prince Toma's Island.  In the distance a scene from the past was being replayed.  He was falling, with Akane on his back, towards a Spring of Drowned Man.

            At the end of the fall was everything Ranma had ever hoped for.  Good-by curse.  Good-by being chased by Happosi.  Good-by kisses from jerks on ice skates.  Good-by being hounded by Kuno.  Good-by being afraid every time that it rains that everyone would find out how big of a freak he actually was.  Good-by "he's practically a couple all by himself."  Good-by girl half.  But Akane was on his back, plummeting to the same spring.  If she fell in as well, she would have to experience all the hurt, pain, fear, embarrassment, and rejection that Ranma had experienced with his curse.  She would be the one who cringed every time a rainstorm passed by overhead.  She would be the one that everyone stared at, as they muttered words like freak, and pervert.   Ranma was torn, he could let them fall towards the spring, and be cured forever, or he could destroy the spring with a chi attack, evaporating the water before they hit the ground, and keep Akane from living with his curse.  When he thought about it there was not a decision to be made.

              "Akane," he had screamed as he readied his ki attack, "the you that you are, is the you that I l…"  the past Ranma bit his tongue, as he gathered his chi in his hands.  A bright blue glow shown brightly for a second, and then exploded as a beam of energy lanced from his hands into the spring below.  The water buckled, and boiled as it erupted all around them.  Within seconds the past Ranma and Akane had landed, dry and safe.

            "How was the sentence supposed to end, Lover," Ranko asked from behind Ranma.

            "The you that you are, is the you that I love." Ranma whispered quietly as his feet found the earth.  The scenery shifted and he and Ranko were back in the dojo once again.

            "That's why it hurts when you think of her like that." Ranko said.  Ranma just looked away.

            Ryoga shouldered his pack as he walked out the door to the Tendo home.  As soon as Akane had left he had changed from P-chan to Ryoga using the hot water in the bathroom.  Ranma always stashed his clothes in the bathroom for him while he was P-chan, making it easy for him to come and go as he pleased.  Yet, if everything worked out, this would be the last time he stayed at the dojo as P-chan.

            This was it, his chance, his time to tell Akane how he felt, but first he needed to acquire something.  This meant that he would have to leave for a time, but when he returned he would make everything better for Akane.  _Don't worry my love, he thought as he crossed the threshold, __I leave you now, but when I return it will be with our engagement ring._

            Ranma stood in the center of the dojo with Ranko, the circle was complete, but instead of answers he found himself filled with even more questions.  "So what do I do now?" he asked, his head dropping to the floor.

            Behind him the door to the dojo opened.  Nodoka and Genma stepped into the dojo.  "You do what is honorable," his father said as he moved to Ranko's right.

            "You do the right thing," his mother said, stepping between Ranma's girl-half and his father.

            "You do what you want to do." Ranko said, making sure that her blue eyes caught his.

            "So I should tell her how I feel then?"

            "For the sake of the honor of the School of Anything Goes, Yes" Genma said, nodding his head solemnly.

            "But what if she doesn't feel the same way about me?" Ranma asked.  He thought back to all the times she had called him a pervert.  The day they had first met, when she had called him a 'couple all by himself'.  She had never been able to accept his curse.  It was the thing she always teased him about, the thing that always made her uncomfortable in his presence, the thing that made him a freak in her eyes.  "What if she can't accept my curse?  I'm afraid she won't want me."

            Nodoka laughed, "Since when has my son let his fears keep him from something that he wants?" Her hand reached out and touched her son's face, and lifted his head, so that she could see the pride in her eyes.  "My son is too much of a man among men to let such a small thing as fear stop him."

            "Hai," Ranma said, his jaw trembling slightly with fear and apprehension, the scenery shifted again as the walls of the dojo gave way to a thick mist.  "And if she rejects me?"

            "Then you've done what's honorable," Genma said as he disappeared into the mist.

            "You've done what's right," his mother replied as the mist enveloped her as well.

            "But most importantly," Ranko said as she began to fade, "you won't ever regret not telling her how you feel."

            Ranma opened his eyes, and roused himself from his meditation.  From the stiffness in his legs and the ache in his back he judged that he had been meditating in the dojo for several hours now.  His mind was full of questions still, but at least now he understood what he had to do.  Ranma stood to his feet and walked towards the door.  He had to find Akane and soon.  Before he lost his resolve.

            Akane sat at her desk and waited for Ranma to emerge from the Dojo below.  Her window held a perfect view of the yard, allowing her to see everything from the koi pond, to the dojo entrance.  Most days she would just sit here and stare out the window, letting her thoughts drift by like the clouds in the sky, but today she could not afford that luxury.  She sat staring at the entrance of the dojo, determined that Ranma would not leave without her noticing.  She could not let him get by her today, she had to tell him.  She had to let him go, no matter how much it hurt.  And she had to do it soon, before her will caved.

            The door to the dojo slid open, as a familiar pair of black pants and red shirt emerged from within.  _This is it, she thought as he quietly scanned the yard.  She stood to her feet, turned around, and drew in a slow breath to steady her shaking knees.  If she was going to do this with any amount of composure left, it would have to be done quickly, and so determined she stalked across her room, reached out to the knob, and twisted the door open._

            "Hey, Akane," a voice called from behind her, "Where are you going?"  Akane turned on her heels.  There he was in her window, doing his best to look anywhere but in her eyes.  "Look," Ranma said, his eyes finally settling on the broken picture frame on the floor, "I… that is, we need to talk."

            Akane dropped to the floor, her knees buckling as her last bit of determination fled, "Hai." 

* * * * * * *

I hope that this meets to your approval.  This is my first attempt at a fanfic, and so any constructive criticism that you could give would be welcomed.  Note, Constructive criticism welcomed not flaming.  If you can't tell me anything but "That sucked" don't write. However, if you can point out specific instances in the story that you have issues with, then let me know.  I can't get better unless I know what I'm doing wrong.  Keep in mind however this is just the first chapter, and I'll do my best to have a new chapter up every month or so.

-Tracy

E-mail:  Snowbird189@Hotmail.com


	2. Chapter 2 Give me Shelter

Ramna ½: A Wedding

Disclaimer:  I don't own it. It ain't mine. Don't sue me; I already owe too much money as it is.

Chapter Two

"Love, Sister, It's just a kiss away."

-Give me Shelter, Rolling Stones.

            Outside the Tendo dojo, a koi flipped in the pond, making a loud splash which could be heard all the way up to Akane's room.  For a normal person, the sound of the water lapping against the sides of the pool would have been soothing, but for Ranma, at the present moment, no other sound could have been more alarming.  Extending his chi out to its furthest limits the pig-tailed boy searched for the culprit which had set off his danger sense.  It did not take long for him to find it.  With a practiced silence he glided to Akane's side.  "We need to talk," he said, scooping her up in his arms, "but let's do it somewhere else."

            The short-haired girl clutched her arms tightly around Ranma's neck and shoulders, as they dashed through the window and bounced up onto the roof.  The pair leapt from rooftop to rooftop as they trekked across Nerima.  Ranma cradled his fiancé firmly in his arms, keeping her closer to him with each jump; trying his best not to be distracted by the scent of her hair.  It was her smell that had always gotten to him, ever since the first time he had carried her like this, during the fight with Ryoga, before he had learned about P-chan.  They had landed on the roof, him holding Ryoga's umbrella with one arm, and Akane with the other.  He had known that they had not gone far enough to be completely safe from the lost boy, but sitting up there, holding her in his arms, and smelling her hair, the world seemed to slip away.  

            _I guess I should have asked her not to change her shampoo, he thought as he hurdled across a gap between two apartments._

            Akane; however, was doing her best to reign in the emotions that were flittering about the pit of her stomach.  If everything went according to plan, this would be her final wild ride over the city's rooftops.  The final time that he threw her about, and hauled her around, like a big ape in a B movie.  The final time he held her.  Akane lifted her head off of his shoulder and watched the dojo disappear behind them.  Pulling out a reserve of determination, she willed herself not to cry.  She could not let him know how bad this was going to hurt.  The last thing she wanted was his sympathy.  Regardless, a single tear traced a path across her cheek.

            Nabiki stood at her door, and watched as the two fiancés disappeared from sight.  A half smile creased her face.  She didn't know exactly what was happening between her younger sister and Ranma but whatever it was, it had to be interesting, and in Nerima, interesting was worth a great deal of yen.  There was money to be made here, she could feel it.  _I just have to figure out what's going on, she thought._

            "You can stop eavesdropping now," Nabiki said, turning back to her desk and the ledgers it held.  She only worked on her private accounts in the solitude of her room, "they're gone already."

            Soun snapped his fingers and retreated down the stairs, as Genma, who was still a Panda, grumbled.  The two had left their game hoping to hear whether or not their children would make up.  With the failed wedding, the arranged marriage had been temporarily placed on hold.  However, as tense as Akane and Ranma's relationship had been over the course of the past few weeks those plans were now in danger of being derailed entirely. If something didn't change, and soon, the two Schools would never be joined.  But, until their children came home, there was nothing the fathers could do but return to their game.

            "Oh well," Kasumi said, following closely behind her father, "I guess I'll go make them some tea for when they get back."

            Ranma set Akane down on the roof of the high school; as he looked around one last time to make absolutely certain that no one had followed him.  He had done his best to throw off any possible pursuers, dashing wildly about Nerima in a zigzag pattern he had copied from Ryoga.  Really, it was no wonder P-chan was getting lost all the time, he couldn't walk in a strait line to save his life.  However, as random a destination the school seemed to be, it had been Ranma's intent to alight here from the beginning.

            Any one who would be looking for him would know that school was the one place that Ranma hated the most.  It was common knowledge that the pigtailed martial artist would rather take on Herb, Lime, and Mint than sit through class.  Which was why the roof of the high school had been his intended destination all along; no one would expect him to go there willingly, especially over summer break.  Ranma was hoping that particular expectation would buy him and Akane a few minutes of privacy.  After listening for several minutes for the sound of bicycle bells, "Ran-chan", "Ranma-somma", "Arien"or the ever popular "Die Ranma", he relaxed, confident that they were finally alone.  Ranma's stomach flittered as he fought to find his words.  They always seemed to flee at moments like this, when the nervousness of the moment seemed to shift his brain into neutral, and the jittery energy coursing through his body made him feel weak, yet somehow more alive.

            "Akane… I um..."

            "Ranma, I…" Akane interrupted, wanting to end things as quickly as possible, before her resolve broke, unleashing the torrent of emotions she was tentatively clutching to.  "There's something I need to tell you."

            Akane glanced up at her fiancée.  Oh God, he had that look in his eyes.  Not the one that filled with the arrogant confidence he was so famous for, the one he wore in his fights, when all eyes were on him, and you just knew he was about to finish it.  No, his eyes only did this when he didn't think anyone else was watching.  When he would sit all by himself on the roof at night and watch the stars, when his defenses were down, if only momentarily.  She had caught him like that a time or two, only for an instant if that long.  His eyes reflecting back at her: Just don't hurt me.  She looked away, her eyes searching for something else to focus on, just as long as she didn't have to look into his eyes.

            "I know you and I never asked for this engagement," she said, her eyes finally settling down in the general direction of Uc-chan's.

            "Yeah," Ranma started, "but I don't…"

            "Please," Akane's fists balled up at her sides, as she fought back the rising waves of frustration and anger.  Couldn't he see how much this was hurting her?  "Let me finish first."

            "This isn't something that we wanted." She took a deep breath, "I mean…  Look, we're always fighting. I'm either yelling at you…"

            "Yelling?" Ranma asked.

            Akane paused for a moment, her knuckles turning white as she tightened her fist.  Ok, so he had a point, there were times when she did a great deal more than yell at him.  "Alright, so I hit you from time to time.  It's just that you make me so frustrated.  If you weren't such an insensitive j…"  Akane's voice had grown in intensity, the fear and frustration bubbling inside of her until it threatened to explode.  Exhaling, she stilled herself; she wanted to rare back and clobber him as hard as she could, but she couldn't break off the engagement if Ranma was unconscious.  "You see, we're doing it again, we can't say more than a few words to each other without it turning into an argument." 

            Akane sighed, "You… We don't deserve this Ranma, its doing neither of us any good.  Wouldn't you rather be with someone else?"  The tears welled up behind Akane's eyes, and spilled onto her cheeks.  "You deserve someone you can talk to.  Some one you can laugh with.  Someone you love.  We just aren't right for one another.  I want to call off the engagement."

            Ranma stood there, numb.  Akane's mallet weighed exactly 50 kilo's.  On a good day she could swing it at a velocity of 20 meters per second, faster if she was really upset.  She had bashed him with her mallet exactly 237 times over the course of the past year.  Yet, at no time had any of those blows struck him as viciously as the words she had just spoken.

            A gust of wind flurried across the school grounds below, as a flock of sparrows took wing, fleeing some unseen predator.

            The eternally lost boy stared blankly ahead, his eyes locked in an infinite gaze, as he let his thoughts aimlessly wonder about the day's events.  Akane was going to break off the engagement, for good this time.  What a joyous day!  Ryoga closed his eyes replayed the scene yet again.  If he concentrated hard enough he could just hear their voices:

            "I'm sorry Ranma, but I can not marry you," Akane would say, dressed in her yellow and lace sundress.

            "You're leaving me," Ranma would reply, "But, why?"

            "Because I already love another."

            "But what man would be as dashing and handsome as to replace me?" Ranma would ask, "Tell me so that I might challenge him for your heart once again."

            "One you could never hope to defeat," She would say, a wistful smile upon her face, "For I am in love with Ryoga Hibiki!"

            "Ryoga!" Ranma would despair, "Curses, for I could never hope to foil one such as him!  I have lost you."

            "Oh, Ryoga," Akane would reply, turning her back on his rival.  "Come to me my Darling," and he would run to her, as fast as his little black legs would carry him, jump into her arms, and gently nuzzle her breast with his snout.

             Ryoga stopped and blinked.  Wait, that's not how the fantasy was supposed to go.  It did; however, remind him of the other problem he had to deal with before he could propose to Akane.  She still didn't know that he was P-Chan.  Ryoga sighed; he had been so preoccupied with his quest of finding the perfect engagement ring for Akane that he hadn't stopped to consider what would happen when she found out.  The lost boy bit his bottom lip.  If her reactions to any of Ranma's mischief were to be any indication, then when he told her, he could expect her to react with mallets, and a free trip to Kyoto curtsy of Akane's wrath.  The image sent a shudder up and down his spine.

            The thought shook him out of his trance and Ryoga for the first time in hours, looked around at his surroundings.  It was dark, which was strange, because the business district was usually filled with people, lights and noise; and since when did it get so dark so early in Tokyo?

            "Hey kid," a voice cried out to his left as a bright light shown in his face.  Ryoga stopped, he recognized the language the voice was speaking in as English, but the dialect the speaker used was more British in nature.  "What are you doing down here without a hard hat?"

            Ryoga grimaced, he was lost again.  Switching languages, he turned to answer the man who was fast approaching him.  "I'm sorry, I'm looking for the Tokyo business district, you wouldn't happen to know the way?"

            The voice paused for a second, "Tokyo…"  Ryoga could hear the disbelief that laced the man's words; embarrassed he grabbed a lump of coal off of the ground and began to toss it about, "Kid, this is a diamond mine…  In India."

            "What?" Ryoga asked, squeezing the coal as hard as he could.  How could he have wondered so far away in only a few hours?  "You mean this isn't Japan?"

            "Look," the miner pointed a grungy hand towards Ryoga's left, "Take the third elevator to the surface, if you hop a buss here in a bout thirty minutes, you can be in New Deli in a couple of hours.  I'm sure you can catch a flight to Tokyo from there."

            "Thank you," Ryoga said.  His hand relaxing, a raw diamond resting in place of the coal, the lost boy turned right, and stalked off deeper into the tunnels.

            "Aren't you going to tell him he's headed the wrong way?" one of the miner's co-workers asked.

            The miner thought about the diamond resting in the teen's hand, and shook his head.  "You tell him."

            "Of all the stupid, clumsy, un-cute, tomboy things you've ever done," Ranma said, as he grabbed Akane by the arms and twisted her around, staring her down, "this one really takes the cake."

            "Stupid," Akane's fists bawled up at her side, as her aura, glowing red, wisped about her.  "I tell you that you're free to be with whomever you want to be with, and you call that stupid?"

            "No, you're right," Ranma said, pushing his nose into the girl's personal space. "That wasn't stupid, it was idiotic!  What do you mean I deserve someone else?"

            "Look at us, Ranma," Akane shoved back, letting the full fury of her anger flow.  "Here we go, at it again.  Wouldn't you rather be with someone else you can talk to?"

            "Like who?" Ranma asked, as he circled around Akane, counterclockwise.  "Are you seeing someone else?"

            "No!"                                                                        

            "Is there someone else that you want to date?"

            "No," Akane huffed, threw back her head and snorted, "Of course there isn't anyone out there I want to see!"

            "In that case I was wrong, this isn't idiotic," he said, "It's moronic!"

            "What is so wrong with wanting to let you have someone you can talk to?" Akane said, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

            "Who else out there could I possibly want?" Ranma shouted back.

            "I don't know," Akane said, irritation laced heavily in her tone, "maybe Ukyo?"

            "Damn it, Akane.  Why do you think I want Ukyo for some reason?"

            "Because you can talk to her," Akane said, stepping away from Ranma.

            "But I don't love her, you stupid Tomboy," the pig-tailed martial artist said.

            "And, why not?"

            "Because," Ranma grabbed her arm, and twirled her so that he could see her eyes once again, "I love you."

            Akane stood for a moment in silence, her eyes threatening to spill into tears.  How long had she waited to hear those three words, without her fiancé acting under the influence of love potions, magic spells, or Amazon artifacts?  Yet here he was, he had said it; and she didn't believe a word of it.  It reminded her to much of another time, not to long after they had met, when they were sparing in the dojo:

            "You know, you're cute when you smile," he had said, sidestepping her punch. Akane had just stood there; mute, as Ranma poked her in the middle of the forehead with his index finger.  "Gotcha."

            Gotcha.  He never said anything like that to her unless it was just to get her unbalanced enough to take advantage of her.  Well she was tired of it: tired of the games, tired of playing Russian roulette with him.  Akane reached out with her right hand, and struck Ranma's cheek as hard as she could.  The slap echoed across the rooftops.

            Nabiki walked down the stairs to the kitchen.  It had been unusually hot this year in the Tokyo area, and the temperature had already climbed into the low 90's.  Without the benefit of central heat and air, the summer was usually tolerable, if just barely.  During a heat wave like this, it was unbearable.  A few luxuries such as ice and lemonade; however, made the summer heat a little easer to cope with though.  Fortunately for everyone, Kasumi always kept the kitchen well stocked with such items, and Nabiki was more than willing to partake of them.

            Nabiki had just passed the dining room when she heard her father.  "Nabiki, come here for a minute, I want to talk to you."

            Nabiki rolled her eyes and stepped back towards the dining room.  Leaning against the door jam, her eyes narrowed into slits as she studied her father. "Yes?"

            The middle Tendo daughter did not like what she saw.  Soun sat on the back porch, with Genma.  Everything about the scene looked innocent, but of the three Tendo girls, Nabiki had been blessed with the ability to read her opponents, and it was the expression on her father's face that worried her.  He was doing his best to look nonchalant, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his intentions.  The only other time that she had seen it, her younger sister gained a cross-gender fiancée.  No, this did not bode well at all.

            "Nabiki," Soun's eyes never left the game board, "I've been thinking about what we talked about over breakfast this mourning, and I've come to a decision."

            "Talked?" Nabiki arched her right eyebrow.  She didn't remember discussing anything with her father, much less telling him anything that would require a decision on his part.

            "Yes, about you choice in colleges," Nabiki's jaw dropped.  The old man was known to meddle needlessly in his daughters' affairs, but surely even he would not have the audacity to do what she thought he was about to do. "I don't think you should attend college in the States, it's much too far away.  Therefore I have decided that you will be attending Tokyo in the fall."

            Nabiki closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.  So, he did have the audacity to do that, but then what else could she expect from a man who had arranged a marriage for his daughters at birth?  Calming herself, she bit her bottom lip, "No, I'm not."

            "What did you say?"

            "I'm not attending Tokyo in the fall."

            Soun looked across the yard at the koi pond, "You have no choice in the matter, I won't pay for any other school."

            "And your point is?" Nabiki rolled her eyes at her father.

            "You can't afford to go if I refuse to pay."

            "I don't need for you to pay," Nabiki said as she turned her back to her father, "All of my choices gave me a full scholarship, plus expenses; you don't have a choice in the matter… Daddy."  Sarcasm dripped from Nabiki's voice like venom as she walked past the room, towards the kitchen.

            "She has a point there, Tendo," Genma said as he shuffled the pieces around the board, "It looks as though there's not much you can do about it."

            "That's only a minor set back, Saotome," Soun looked back at the board in amazement.  Genma always seemed to be able to miraculously turn the tide against him in their games in just one move. "I still have three months to change her mind in."

            "What was that for?" Ranma said; his hand reached up to stroke the red handprint that throbbed on his cheek. "Geez Akane, I just told you I love you, and you slap the shit out of me.  Talk about a Tomboy."

            "I hit you," Akane's anger was barely contained as it rippled through her voice, "because, you didn't mean it."

            "What do you mean I didn't mean it?" Ranma through up his hands, and stalked off to the edge of the roof.  With all the incredulous things she could have possibly said… "Of course I meant it, I said it didn't I?"

            "See," Akane said, crossing her arms at her waist.  Her eyes locked on to the pig-tailed martial artist's back as he walked away.  "There you go running away, again.  You say you love me; then prove it."

            Ranma stopped; his back going strait and stiff.  His hands clenched at his side. "I've rescued you from kidnapers; fought oversized critters, and crazed martial artists; destroyed any chance I might ever have for a cure; and if it weren't for the fact that he was a god, and by default immortal, practically killed Saffron… all for you."  Ranma turned on his heels, and marched over to the short haired girl. "Hasn't that been enough?"

            "No Ranma," Akane said, pushing her nose into his personal space until it was just a few inches away from his, "it's not.  You know as well as I, that you would have done those things anyhow.  Your pride won't let you back down from anything.  If that had been Shampoo or Ukyo you still would have done it, and you can't convince me otherwise."

            The pig tailed martial artist let out a scream in frustration, as Akane, intent on staring him down, kept the tip of her nose just a few millimeters from his.  What else could he do to convince her that he really loved her?  He had already slain a dragon… sort of…  Swam the Sea of Japan…  Journeyed to the corners of the earth…  Was there anything left he could do?  His mind spun in circles, as it whirled about, trying to find a solution to the problem, and then he remembered that day in the dojo, when he had been kissed for the first time by a man:

            "I dare you to kiss me," she had said.

            He had not been able to of course, their families had interrupted with a video camera, spoiling what would be a rare moment between the two.  As pointless as the dare had been though, it gave him an idea.  Before the safety mechanisms in his brain could kick in, Ranma reached out, grabbed Akane's shoulders, and tried one last thing to persuade the short haired girl that he loved her.

            Nabiki walked up the stairs, lemonade in hand, confident that she had won the first round with her father.  She had been watching her sister's battles with him over the engagement, and had developed a solid understanding of where she had gone wrong.  Akane had let the fool think he had a chance of winning.  Nabiki however, was determined on not making her sister's mistake.  No, this daughter would be left out of her father's schemes.  She had her own life to live, and she would be damned if she was going to let her father of all people get in her way. 

            The middle daughter twisted the latch to her room, only to be met with her father's handy work.  Flyers and brochures from Tokyo University lined the walls and ceiling of her room.  Every square inch of space, every nook, and every cranny was filled with information on the university's School of Business, dorm life, scholarship opportunities, and success stories which had been spawned by the school.  Without letting her anger slip she quietly closed the door, and pulled the Harvard brochures out from underneath her bed.  Suddenly four years in the greater Boston area wasn't looking so bad. 

            The first thing that Akane realized when she came to her senses was that she was being kissed, but by whom?  Judging by the firm grip her assailant had on her shoulders, and the flash of red silk and black hair, she surmised that it was Ranma who was doing the kissing.  On impulse she raised her right hand and slapped him again.

            Ranma pulled back, at the sharp pain on his already sore cheek, "What was that f…"

            Akane didn't give him a chance to finish.  Instead she reached out, grabbed her fiancée's ears and kissed him.  His mouth still open in mid-sentence; their tongues, so used to sparring with one another, met for the first time on friendly terms.  Two years of frustration and pent up emotions were released in that perfect moment, as the light from the sun painted the sky in a beautiful array of reds and oranges.

            Reluctantly Akane broke the kiss, and drew in an awkward breath, "Never without my permission, Baka."

            "Point taken, Tomboy," Ranma smiled.  It was the same insult he always used when he wanted to get under her skin, but this time it was missing the malice usually present when he spoke it.

            "Tomboy!" Akane said, anger starting to rise in her voice.  Ranma placed a single finger over her lips.

            "Hey," he said with a grin, wrapping his arms around her, "I'll have you know that I love a Tomboy."

            Akane sighed as she turned towards the sunset, and leaned into the pig-tailed boy.  How many nights had she fantasized about this?  And now…  But wait, what came next?  All of her fantasies had ended here.  There was still Ukyo, and Shampoo.  Not to mention their families.  How would they deal with it all?  "Ranma," Akane's head turned towards her fiancée, "What do we do now?"

            "I'm not sure," he said, "I guess we just keep things going the way that they are for now.  I mean, we are still fiancées after all."

            "No we aren't."  Ranma looked down at the short haired girl, her face took on a dead pan expression, "I broke off the engagement, remember."

            The pig-tailed boy let go of Akane and took a step back.  He thought he heard her say something, but was not quite sure that he had heard her right.  "Wait," he said, "I thought we took care of that."

            "No, you told me that you love me, kissed me and I kissed you back," Akane jabbed her finger into his chest, "Just because I love you doesn't mean I don't still want to call off the engagement."

            "Wait," A coy smile slipped onto Ranma's face, "say that again."

            "Say what again?  That I still want to call off the engagement?"

            "No, before that," he frowned, "The 'I love you' part."

            "Oh," Akane blushed again, "I love you, Ranma."

            Ranma leapt high into the air in a back flip and landed on the ledge surrounding the school roof.  Cupping his hands to his mouth he whooped, "Hey, everyone, did you hear that!  She loves me!"

            Akane's face flushed even more, as she ran quickly to her fiancée and pulled him down.  "What are you doing?" she said as she looked around to make sure no one had seen, "Some one might hear you."

            "Good, I want them to," Ranma said, as he picked her up by the waste and twirled her around. 

            "And what if Shampoo or Ukyo happened to be down there?" Akane asked as her feet touched the ground.  "You remember the wedding don't you?"

            "We've been through this," Ranma sighed, "Uc-chan said she was sorry, I thought you had forgiven her for that already."

            "I have," Akane mumbled, "but I still don't want to take any chances.  For the past two years you've had me worrying day and night that you would choose one of them over me.  I'm tired of this.  I love you Ranma," Akane said, her shoulders heaving in a sigh, "But now I want them to know that you chose me.  Not them… me."

            "But Akane…" Ranma started.

            "No 'buts', Ranma, the engagement is off, until I get a ring." Akane sat down on the ledge, and turned away from the pig tailed boy. Her hands, cold, clammy and white with nervousness, wrung at the hem of her dress.

            Ranma sat down behind her and rested his right hand on her shoulder, "I guess this means I need to find a job then."

            Akane twirled back around, her face beaming as she cried one last time that night, "Really?"

            "Yep," Ranma sighed, "I need to get that ring fast if we're going to get married before the end of the break."

            Akane pulled back slightly, "Why so soon? We've got all the time in the world now."

            Ranma shook his head, "Maybe, but then what if we run into someone like Saffron again?"  Lines of worry covered Ranma's face, as he turned to watch the sunset.  "What if one day I don't get there in time and something happens to you?  What if I finally meet the person I just can't beat, and I don't come back home?"  Ranma sighed, "You're right, we might have all the time in the world, but then again we might not."

            Akane studied her love's face carefully.  The cocky, arrogant mask had lifted, and under it, she saw for the first time the crack in her knight's armor.  He was afraid. "That's what your dreams are about aren't they?"

            "Yes," Ranma said.  It was only a partial lie, he still couldn't remember the dreams, but he was sure there was more to it than that. 

            "Ranma," she said, slightly squeezing his hand, "If you can get me a ring with in a month, I'll marry you before school starts back."

            "And if I can't?" Ranma swallowed.

            Akane shifted back into his arms to watch as the sun slid below the horizon, and let out a mock sigh, "I guess I'll just have to marry you anyway."

            Cologne sat behind the counter at the cat café as she thumbed through the day's mail.  Bills, bills, bills and more bills.  Who could have ever guessed that living in Nerima would be so much more costly than living in the village?  But then who would have known that it would have been so much more fun as well?

            Living such a long life was as much of a blessing as it was a curse.  Over the past five hundred years she had watched her children, and great grandchildren grow up, and pass away.  And never, no matter how honorable the battle, or how bright and beautiful the spirit, was it a good thing for a parent to bury a child.  Yet, she had some how survived, and born through, as was expected of an elder of the tribe.  Thus, five hundred years had passed in the village, as steady and regular as the waves of the ocean they had come.

            Once long ago, a wise man once wrote that there was nothing new under the sun.  Cologne understood first hand the truth of that statement.  There is a pattern to life, if you watch long enough you can find it.  Cologne had found that pattern four hundred years ago, and life for her had become… boring.  That is, until the arrival of the Son-in-law.

            The chaos that surrounded him made life exciting again.  The elder never knew what was going to happen next, and as a result life had become interesting again.  The past two years had been the most fun that she had had in ages.  For that reason, she smiled as she opened the letters one by one, that is, until she reached the last one.

            It was from the village.  Under normal circumstances she would have been ecstatic to receive news from home, the elders had grown jealous of the time that she spent here, and often wrote to her, begging for updates on the Son-in-law's exploits.  But for some reason the letters had been coming less and less frequently, and although the news contained within was still good, the pattern of their arrival had began to worry the old Amazon, until last month, the letters had finally stopped.  Now this letter had arrived, only judging by the date on the letter it had been sent over a month ago.  With a wrinkled brow Cologne read the letter.

            "Honored Elder,

                        Good news!  The Party has finally assigned a new magistrate to govern the

            prefecture.  Maybe this one will only take from us what the state designates as our 

            allotment for taxes, but then this would be asking to much, wouldn't it.

                        On other matters, concerning your last letter; if things are going as poorly

            for your great granddaughter as you say, then you are correct in notifying us.  The 

            council deliberated on the matter for quite a while, but we reached a decision.  If

            the occasion does arise that the boy does not take her as his bride, then you have

            our permission to carry out your plan.

                        Stay young, and know that we all eagerly await your next letter.  Perfume,

            has bet the council five lambs that Akane still won't figure out who her pet

            actually is by the end of the month.

                        The Council."

            Cologne tucked the letter away, and turned off the lights in the kitchen.

            "Shampoo, my love," Mousse cried from upstairs.

            "Silly duck-boy, Shampoo no like you," her granddaughter screamed back at him.  There was a loud bang, followed by the warbling sound of a lid, lazily spinning to a stop.  Cologne smiled, she would wait to tell the youngsters about the letter later, she didn't want to ruin their fun just yet.

            Ranma set Akane down on the floor as he turned to make sure that no one had watched him carry her back to her room.  It was at times like this that he was glad that his father had taught him how to leap from rooftop to rooftop, and into and out of second story windows.  It was just dark enough outside, that maybe no one had seen the two of them, and they could have just enough time together to say good-night.

            "Are you sure about this?" Akane whispered as she pulled him to her in the darkness.

            "We went over this on the way back home, Tomboy," Ranma wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight as he kissed her one last time, "It's the only way we can make sure that we don't get rail-roaded into another wedding before I can get you that ring."

            "Would that be so bad?" Akane asked.

            "I thought you wanted them to know that this was our decision and not theirs?"

            "I do," Akane said into his chest, "I'm just going to miss this, that's all."

            "Who said we had to stop, we'll just have to be careful about it," Ranma shrugged, "Look, leave your window unlocked and I'll tell you good-night before you go to bed."

            Akane sighed, she had been doing that more often as of late, "I guess that will just have to do then.  I guess the only question then is how long can we keep this a secret."

            "No," Nabiki's voice spoke from the darkness behind them, "the question is, how much are you willing to pay to keep this a secret?"

            Ranma stepped between his love, and her older sister.  "Not this time, Nabiki."

            "Oh really," Nabiki rolled her eyes, "And what are you going to do to stop me if you don't pay?  Beat me up?"

            Akane cracked her knuckles and smiled, "No, there's no need for that, I'm sure that when you think about things you'll understand that it's in your best interest to help us."

            Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"

            "Simple," Akane smiled a devilish grin, "if dad finds out that Ranma and I are on… friendlier terms with one another, and forces a marriage, who's life do you think he's going to start meddling in then?  There's only you and Kasumi.  Ranma do you want to make a bet on which one it's going to be?"

            "Heh," Ranma laughed, "it's a fifty-fifty chance I guess.  Care to flip a coin, Nabiki?  But then I could have a talk with you father about your marriage prospects, everyone knows that Kasumi has a suitor."

            For the first time in ages, Nabiki went white with fear, "You wouldn't dare."

            Akane looked up at Ranma, "I don't know, you remember some of those famous Saotome attacks, don't you Nabiki?  Look, a 100 yen coin!"

            Nabiki gritted her teeth, they had her, and she knew it.  If she auctioned off this juicy tidbit of information, she could kiss Harvard good-bye.  "Fine," she said, throwing her hands up in surrender, "I'll do what I can to help."

**********

Thank you to everyone for your kind reviews, I really appreciated them.  Sorry it took so long to get the second chapter up, but I have two conferences to present at this month, and a poster contest my advisor insisted that I enter.  Sigh, the life of a grad student.  Oh, well.  Please once again C & C.  I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.  -Tracy.


	3. Chapter 3 Punch in Punch out

Ranma ½: A Wedding

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It ain't mine. Don't sue me; I already owe too much money as it is. Voices copyright Yoko Kanno

Chapter Three

"I wake up to beat the sun from her glory

I'm only one cigarette away from mobility

It's always punch in punch out

go to work and go back home

there's only one chance left

and I know and I know

where she is waiting."

Seven Mary Three, "Punch in, Punch out"

Cologne sat at the counter of the cat café, cataloguing the current stocks for her Sunday shopping trip when Ranma stepped through the door. A quick study of his features confirmed that the information that she had bought from the mercenary had been accurate. The Son-in-law had not been sleeping well as of late. But then, every scrap of knowledge she had gleaned from the middle Tendo had proven to be true… Eventually.

He was trying to hide it. There was still a spring to his step, and his face had the half-smirk mask of confidence he bore so well. It would be hard indeed to tell if there were anything out of the ordinary with the son-in-law, but then he was three-hundred years to young to fool an Amazon elder. The signs were all there if you knew what to look for. The crow's feet, the spider web of red that fanned out from his irises, not to mention the barely visible circles under his eyes. She had seen it numerous times. Many times the victim had been one of her more promising students. The first kill was always the hardest.

"Come in Son-in-law," she said, bringing her pipe to her lips, "Something weighs on your mind. Pull up a seat, and sit a while to chat."

Ranma walked up to the counter, grabbing a stool on his way. "What makes you think I've got something I want to talk about?"

Cologne chuckled to herself, "I am four-hundred years to old to believe that, boy," she said as he sat down in the stool, his arms folded across its back as he leaned over it. The old mummy poured herself a cup of foul smelling tea, "But I will let your comment stand for now. You will talk when you are ready."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ranma asked, his chest puffed out slightly at the insult.

"Hear already about nightmare." Shampoo's voice said from behind him, "It keep Arien up at night, yes? Ranma should come with Shampoo. Shampoo know way give good dreams, yes?"

"Yes… I mean no," Ranma said, climbing the stool, to place a bit more distance between him and her. Shampoo gazed at him as a tabby looks at a goldfish.

"Ranma," Mouse said through gritted teeth, as he looked up from the table he was bussing.

Cologne tossed a glass filled with cold water at the boy, "Hey, Mr. Part-Timer, what have I told you about trying to start fights on the clock?"

Mouse side stepped the water, catching the glass in mid-air and placed it with the rest of the morning dishes. "Yes, old ghoul."

Cologne smiled, if only briefly. The training was going well, and the boy had shown considerable improvement through the years. His reflexes and stamina was getting better. If he continued to improve at this rate she could begin to instruct him in some advanced techniques. But then, she would have to find a way to disguise her instruction as either abuse or work. His struggle wouldn't be nearly so interesting if he ever knew that she wasn't completely set against him. Besides, there was some truth to the old saying about prizes gained to easily…

The Son-In-Law grabbed the counter, "Look, what's going on in my head is my business, so just butt out!"

"As you wish, boy," Cologne said, as she poured him a cup of tea, "but try this. Trust me it helps."

"Oh?" Ranma raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the cup suspiciously.

"Her name was Juju." Cologne said gazing down at her tea, "She was jealous that Marjoram chose to challenge myself instead of her. I made several attempts to end it using less forceful measures, but in the end I had no choice."

"You were married?" Ranma asked. Amazon women only married outsider males who could best them in single combat. This left the pig-tailed boy trying to imagine the type of man who would bed the old mummy. A shudder worked its way involuntarily up his spine.

Mousse laughed as he gave the pig tailed boy a disdainful look. Shampoo flashed her unwanted suitor a harsh glance, "How Arien think Great Grandmother be Great Grandmother if she no have husband?"

Ranma shrugged, and took a sip of the tea. It tasted both sweet and bitter, but the brew was not too unpleasant. "Not bad," he said as he took another sip, "What's in it?"

"Chamomile, Green Tea, St. John's Wart, and crushed, lifetime-strength, true-love pill," the elder said. Ranma gagged, closed his eyes, turned his head as the tea spewed from his mouth in a fine mist. The old Amazon chuckled softly to herself, "I love that joke. You can relax Son-in-Law…" He exhaled and opened his eyes slowly as the elder's eyes became slits. "For now… You want something from me. What is it?"

Ranma reached behind his head and grabbed his ponytail, "What makes you think I want something?"

"You never come by unless you want something or you're hungry," Mousse said, as he leaned against the kitchen door, hands folded across his chest.

"And since Arien no order…" Shampoo said.

"What is it that you want?" Cologne finished.

Ranma sighed. He was a terrible liar. On more than one occasion he had lost vast sums of money and property at the poker table. Whatever he told the old ghoul he had to be careful or he would give it all away. Damnit, why had he agreed to Nabiki's plan in the first place?

"I give you 3000 yen, and this is the best that you can do?" Ranma asked, "The Cat Café? You… the 'Great Nabiki', the Ice Quean… The Cat Café?"

"Yes, damnit, that was the best that I could do," Nabiki's eyes narrowed into fine slits, "I called in every favor, and pulled every string I could find."

"But…"

"No 'Buts'," Nabiki growled, "Ranma, I called every business in a three city radius. No one would take you. Hell, a few places even offered to pay me to find you a job somewhere else."

"How much," Ranma said, his eyebrows perked in interest.

"Enough to clear your account," Nabiki snapped, "Ranma you and your gang of friends have such a reputation for wantondestruction that this really is the only option left open to us."

"So what do we do when the old ghoul asks why I need a Job? Everyone knows I'm a terrible liar."

Nabiki shrugged, "Then tell the truth… Just don't tell them all of it."

Ukyo stood over her grill, and watched the pedestrians rush past her shop. It was a quarter passed two, and she had just finished cleaning up from the lunch dishes. Everything had died down at Uc-chan's and more than likely would not pick up again until after dinnertime. She had sent Konastu out fifteen minutes ago, with a list of everything that the café would need for the rest of the week. He would be gone for at least an hour or two. There was nothing left for her to do but to sit, and wait.

Her eyes followed a well dressed salary-man as he walked past, a teddy-bear head popping out of his attaché case. A slight smile crossed the cook's lips. It was probably his daughter's birthday tonight. He would walk through the door, with the bear tucked behind his back. His daughter would give him a hug, and ask about her present; pouting slightly. After a few minutes of interrogation, he would finally concede and hand over the bear. The birthday girl would pirouette to the living room, bear in tow, while the father would lean over to his wife, and give her a hello kiss.

It was her favorite past time, to watch the pedestrians and imagine what they are like at home. To visualize them in their most private moments, when no one else was watching them and they could be themselves. Like, the woman pushing the stroller. She could just see her in the park, holding out her hands to her toddler as he wobbled towards her on shaky legs.

And then there were the ones like the boy outside. Ukyo smiled wistfully as he fluttered by, nose buried in the classifieds. She wondered what it would feel like to have those strong arms wrapped around her pulling her closer, as she pushed his yellow bandana off of his forehead and out of his hair….

"Wait" she paused, "Yellow Bandana… with black polka-dots?" There was only one person she knew who wore a bandana like that. Which meant… "Oh god, no." She mumbled as she shook her head violently to clear her mind of the image. She had just been fantasizing about Ryoga, the eternally lost boy who had the crush on Akane. But that wasn't possible, she was Ranma's girl. She belonged to Ranma. She would never do something like that to him… It wasn't her fault, which meant that it must be Ryoga's.

Brandishing her spatula over her head she dashed out the door, "Ryoga, you jerk, prepare to die."

Walking along in what he thought was a small district on the outskirts of Shanghai; Ryoga looked up from his paper just in time to see the spatula descending like the hand of God.

"I need a job." Ranma said, folding his hands in his lap and bowing his head in shame.

Cologne leaned on her staff. So that was what the boy had come to her for. But there was something else, something more to this. She could feel it in her five hundred year old bones. "Oh, why can't you take up a few more classes at the Dojo, surely Soun would allow it?"

"I can't do that," Ranma said, "Neither Mr. Tendo or the old man can know about my needing money."

"And why not?" the elder asked.

"I kind of need it for an engagement ring." Ranma muttered.

Shampoo dove across the room, knocking the Pig-tailed martial artist off of the stool, "Arien get ring for Shampoo! Shampoo to to happy!"

"Shampoo! Wait…"

Cologne sat and smiled to herself. Did Ranma actually believe that he could fool her? He needed a ring, therefore he had finally come to a decision on which fiancé he would take. But it wasn't Ukyo. If it had been Ukyo he would be working at her restaurant. Neither was it her Great-Granddaughter. If that was the case then why didn't he come out and say who the ring was for? No, he was protecting this girl, trying to keep her from harm, and there was only one person that Son-in-Law would fight the forces of Hell and Heaven to defend. Her granddaughter had lost, but then there were plans in place to cover for that occurrence. The elder sighed, the excitement here would be ending soon, and then there would be nothing for her but the passage of the years. But there was still this to be played out. The others had yet to divine the truth, and watching him try to hide it would provide at least some entertainment. Besides, this gave her a chance to change her bet in Nabiki's fiancée pool.

"You will start this afternoon, Son-In-Law," Cologne nodded solemnly, "You will help Shampoo catch the Lunch and Dinner rushes in your girl form, and assist Mousse afterwards with busting tables as a boy. I'll pay you 819 yen an hour and you'll receive a paycheck at the end of every week. Is this acceptable to you and your fiancé?"

"Grandmother, that perfect! Now Shampoo and Arien can practice for when married?" Shampoo threw her arms around Ranma's waist, tackling him as the two rolled across the floor.

Mousse looked up from the table he was wiping down. Water was streaming through the knuckles of his fist as he gripped his dishrag. "What! If you think I'm going to just sit here and let him…"

Cologne tagged the male Amazon in the forehead with the narrow end of her staff, sending him flying over the tables and into the restaurant wall. Like a high bounce ball, the elder followed the blind martial artist across the room. The world stopped spinning for Mousse after his head hit the wall. His glasses hung loosely from his ears. Everything in the restaurant was blurry, except for the narrow tip of the walking stick pointed at his nose.

"Listen closely, because I will only tell you this once," the elder said, "If Mr. Saotome, Tendo, or for that matter, Ukyo learn about this arrangement Son-In-Law, and his bride, will be feasting on duck during their wedding banquet. Is this clear?"

Mousse nodded his head.

Ryoga cradled the bag of ice against the knot in his forehead, as he reclined on the grill on his elbow. "There I was just walking along some district in southern China, when suddenly you show up and… Why in the hell did you hit me upside the head again?"

"Trust me," Ukyo glared at him from over her shoulder as she stood at the sink, washing the lunch dishes, "You deserved it. Now stop being a baby and keep that ice on your head." Ukyo paused for a moment as she dunked another dish into the hot water, "You never did tell me what you were doing reading the classifieds."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm looking for a work."

"What type?"

"Construction mostly. I get the best money though in Korea, they keep finding these caves they want collapsed for some reason. Maybe if I could speak the language I could figure out why."

"You work in Korea, and you don't speak Korean?"

"Hey, give me a break, it's one of the hand full of languages I don't speak."

Ukyo put the dish she was rinsing on the stack to her left, and turned around to scrub the grill with her kitchen rag. "Somehow, sugar, I find that hard to believe."

"Just because I can't find my way to high school doesn't mean that I am an idiot."

"Then how many languages do you know?"

"All but a hand full of Native American languages, and Korean. Very few people speak the Native American languages anymore, and no one but a native speaker could ever learn Navajo."

Ukyo pushed her rag across the grill, pausing with her nose only a few inches from Ryoga she said, "Say something in German then."

Ryoga looked up at Ukyo, and just for a second was caught mid breath as he looked directly into her bright, questioning eyes. His body refused to breathe. (I would tell you that your eyes look like two sapphires, but when I look into them, my body is paralyzed by your gaze).

"And what is that supposed to mean." Ukyo laughed.

"That your rag is burning." Ryoga said pointing at the grill. A small whiff of smoke rose between the two teenagers. Ukyo yelped more from embarrassment than fear, as she threw the rag across the kitchen and into the sink behind her. Turning on the faucet, she doused the smoldering cloth.

"So why are you looking for a job?"

"I'm going to propose to Akane next week."

"You're kidding right?" Ukyo crossed her arms. "You can't stay coherent when she looks at you, and now you're going to propose? What brought this on?"

"Akane broke off their engagement." Ukyo's face turned a bright shade of violet as she fought to regain her breath. She grabbed Ryoga's collar and pulled him across the table. "Ryoga I swear by all the Kami in the heavens, if you are lying to me…"

"No, it's true… She told me three days ago. Why else would I be looking for a job to buy the ring?"

Ukyo released the pig-boy from her death grip and pirouetted around the room. "It's over Ryoga! Now he'll move in with me, and we'll get married and there will be kids…"

Ryoga laughed; somehow he had never imagined the cook acting so feminine before. "And you can have what you've always wanted, and I can be on my way…"

Uc-chan stopped in mid-twirl. "Oh, leaving so soon?"

"Well, I have the diamond, but I still need to get the ring to mount it in…" Ryoga shrugged, "and rings cost money."

"Why don't you stay here? I could always use some help with the dishes."

"You would do that for me?"

Ukyo smiled, "Of course, what are friends for?"

"Thanks, Ukyo… this means a lot." Ryoga said blushing.

Ukyo waved the lost boy off, "You would do the same for me."

Ranma walked into the Tendo home after his second full day of work. He still could not decide whether the old Ghoul knew what he was up to and was trying to kill him, or if she was just wearing him out so that it would be easier to drag him back to China. Between dashing between tables, dodging Shampoo's random glomps (and an occasional hurled weapon from Moose), and scrubbing the restaurant after the rushes, Ranma was exhausted. But there was one more thing he had to do.

"Yo, Akane," he said, taking off his shoes.

"What?" Akane said from the living room. She and Nabiki sat under the table watching the late movie while her father, on the back porch, looked up at the stars.

"Get your gui on meet me in the dojo in ten minutes."

"Why?"

"Because if mom and pop are going to force to keep living here, then I need to teach you how to beat the hell out of every fool prince who mistakes you for the idea housewife so that I don't have do it for you"

Nabiki looked up from the television and raised an eyebrow. Soun turned to watch the exchange between his daughter and her fiancé.

"You mean you're going to train me?" Akane said springing to her feet.

"That's what I said isn't it?" Ranma rolled his eyes, "Gesh, I knew your head was hard, but I think its starting to affect your hearing too. Well what are you waiting for? Get dressed."

Akane dashed out of the living room and up the stares, to excited about the training to care about the insults. Soun looked at Ranma as the tears started to pour from his eyes. "Ranma has taken my daughter in as a student! At last the two families will be joined."

"Don't you start any of that crap, old man. This is your entire fault you know. If you would have trained her right, I wouldn't have to do this."

"What do you mean, trained her right?"

"Hell, she practically comes with her own ransom note! What did you teach her? The ancient art of Tomboy?"

"Well, I thought I taught…"

"Her how to over extend her stances and bring her kicks in short? Sure, she's as strong as a mule, but she has the grace of a bull ox in a china factory. Hell, her form has so many holes in it that Nabiki could probably take her if a thousand yen were at stake."

"Thanks." Nabiki said from the floor.

Ranma ignored the middle Tendo, her failure to find him work anywhere but the Cat Café was still fresh in his memory. "So just shut up and leave us the hell alone and maybe I can undo some of the damage your instruction has caused," Ranma said as he stormed down the hall.

Soun sat on the porch and looked down at his daughter in disbelief.

"Don't look at me," she said as she tuned the channel to the stock report, "I took last year in the betting pool. Talk to Nadoka."

Ranma stomped up to the top of the stares to be greeted by the sight of an indignant fiancé.

"I could not help but hear what you said to my father. How much of that did you mean?"

"Only the part about me needing to train you for your safety."

"And the rest?"

Ranma glanced about to make sure no one was looking, gave Akane a quick peck on the cheek, "Just to keep up appearances."

Behind them Nadoka closed the door to the guest room and smiled quietly to herself.

Moose eyed the old ghoul as she reclined in her chair. He could only guess from her impersonation of a buzz-saw that she was asleep. He slipped passed her and out the door he had watched Ranma use as he carried the afternoon trash outside. Reaching into his sleeve he selected a hooked sword, drew in a deep breath and focused his chi. "Ranma! Prepare to die."

Ranma twisted to his right to avoid the blade only to be caught by the hook as Moose drew the blade back. "What in the hell Was that for?" He asked as he flipped back to his feet.

"I'm not going to let you take her without a fight."

"Take who?" Ranna asked, as his snap kick connected with the blind boy's wrist, jarring the sword from his hands.

"Your chosen fiancé, who else would I be talking about, moron," Moose pulled a toilet seat from his robe and hurled it at the pig-tailed boy.

"Jesus, when did you start chasing Ak..." Ranma dodged the unusual projectile... "Wait how did you know about the engagement?" ...Only to be struck by the follow-up toilet.

"I was there when you told the old ghoul." Moose said as he readied a mallet, "If you think you can get out of this by playing dumb Soatome, you've got another thing coming."

Ranma side stepped the mallet as its downward arch intersected with the space his head had occupied only a moment before. "Hey, duck-boy, did you hear me ask Shampoo to marry her?"

"No but…"

"Then what makes you think that I want to marry Shampoo?"

"But then who is the ring for?" Mouse raised the mallet again in frustration. Ranma said nothing, but made a small gesture at the mallet with his hands. "What?" Mouse looked up at the mallet in confusion, and then understood. Ranma wasn't giving the ring to Shampoo, "Oh… When did you ask?"

"I'm going to as soon as I can get the ring."

Mouse followed the mallet with his eyes as he eased it back down, allowing its head to rest gently against the earth, "Then what are we fighting for?"

Ranma shrugged, "Its fun?"

"Well, yes. But…" Mouse swallowed in apprehension as he looked back up at Ranma, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ukyo sat at the grill with a stack of receipts to her left as she counted the days earnings. The receipts were divided into four piles: cash, check, credit, and personal tabs, each of which was organized in its own particular way. The cash receipts were in time order, checks receipts were sorted by check number, credit card receipts by credit card type then time, and the personal tabs were alphabetized, last name first. Each stack had been counted four times, and the total had been written on the top receipt from each stack in green ink. "Why am I three yen short?"

Ryoga looked up from his current breaking point training project, "Did you check in the register under the change till?"

"Yes, and on the floor around the register, I can't find it anywhere, sugar."

"Maybe you gave a few extra coins to someone during the afternoon rush."

"For the last time, I did not give away any extra money. Its here somewhere, I just need to count the drawer again."

"I have three yen in my pocket, do you want me to…"

"No, it will throw off my book keeping, I'll just count again."

"If you say so…" Ryoga picked up his project again, and struck it with a straight pin, "But could you explain to me why I have to sit here while you do it."

"To keep you from wondering off and ending up in Russia," Ukyo said, "and to keep me from making any mistakes while I get this deposit ready."

"I haven't helped much with that then, have I?" Ryoga smiled sheepishly.

"True, but you haven't left for Moscow yet either," Ukyo said as she pulled out the single yen coins for the fifth time. Ryoga made a sharp movement with his hands, distracting Ukyo yet again. "Ryoga, honey, what are you doing?" she asked, grinding her teeth together.

"Cutting Akane's diamond."

"Cutting it?"

"Shaping it, so that it reflects the light."

"Can I see?"

"Sure," Ryoga said, holding the diamond in his left hand closer to Ukyo. She watched as he took the pin that he held in his right and made a quick jab at the diamond. The pin lightly tapped the stone, and a portion of it shattered, leaving behind a perfect facet.

"Wow," Ukyo exhaled, "When did you learn how to do that?"

"When I learned the breaking point technique." Ryoga tapped the stone again revealing another facet. "At first when I looked at an object I could only see the objects breaking point, but the longer I looked the more I began to see… nothing its stupid really."

"What did you see, please tell me…"

"Look I know it sounds silly, but sometimes, an object will show me what it really looks like… underneath the extra material that it was buried in, and all the breaking points inside of it that will eliminate the extra material around it."

"You're right, that does sound silly," Ukyo stuck out her tongue at the bandana wearing martial artist.

"I told you so," Ryoga shrugged.

"So what does that diamond want to look like?" Ukyo asked.

"Well, I'm not sure," Ryoga placed the stone down on the counter and just looked at it for a second. "Its still a bit fuzzy, but I think that its two strait lines with a curved top and a line going through it. So it should look like a Romanized A. But like I said, I'm not sure."

Ukyo looked up at Ryoga and laughed.

"What? What did I do this time?"

"Nothing. You didn't do anything." Ukyo stifled another giggle, "It's just… you usually have such a hard time talking to Akane…"

"Akane is a girl," Ryoga shrugged her shoulders.

"And I'm not?"

"Well no, I wouldn't say you were exactly a girl."

"Oh, then what would you say that I am?" Ukyo stopped counting coins.

"You are just a friend, you're not a girl."

Ukyo rolled her eyes, "Well what about Konastu?"

"Konastu is a guy."

"You have a point with that one." Ukyo started counting coins again. "Wait, I have an idea, why don't you practice on me and Konastu, that way you can practice for Akane."

Ryoga stopped cutting the diamond. "Do you think it will work?"

"Its bound to, after all it was my idea." Ukyo finished counting the coins again, this time coming up with the correct number, "Yatta! I found the three yen."

Ryoga rolled his eyes.

Nabiki opened the front door as the doorbell rang for the fifth time. "May I help…"

"Hello," A twenty-something man said as he pushed his way into the furrow, "You must be Nabiki Tendo, I recognize your photograph from the application you have on file at the school."

"And you are?"

"Senshi Kousa, I am with the admissions office at Tokyo University, and I am here to tell you all about the wonderful opportunities which await you when you enroll for classes next…"

Nabiki held up a finger and touched it to the admissions councilor's lips, "And you're here at the request of…"

"Your father of course," he said cheerfully, "Now let me tell you all about the department of business, and managerial studies…"

Akane stood in the center of the dojo, the pants of her gui popped as she snapped her foot in a high side kick.

"Again." Ranma said, "Only this time don't bring swing your foot back down when you kick. Leave you foot fully extended and push your opponent further away with your chi."

The short haired girl said nothing. She just kicked, following her instructor's commands.

"Again. Better, only you're bending your knee on your plant leg."

Akane, kicked.

"Again, now don't lean back."

The girl kicked again.

"Stop. That's enough for today; tomorrow we'll work on the hole in your punch."

"Yes, sir." Akane bowed at Ranma, her face in a small frown.

"Hey, Ak-chan," Ranma asked, bowing his head to meet her eyes, "What's the matter?"

"Its nothing," a drop of sweat rolled off of her nose, and onto the floor at her feet. "I just thought that I would do better than this."

"Really?" Ranma smiled, "And how long has it been since your father last taught you anything?"

"Four years."

"You're just a little rusty, that's all. To tell the truth, you're doing better than I thought you would."

Akane glared at him, "Thanks."

"No, seriously, from the way that your father moves I thought that I would have to make you start all over and completely re-teach you so that you could learn my school. As it is I think once we correct a few of your bad habits, you will be ready to learn some more advanced moves."

"Like the chestnuts attack?"

"I'm not so sure about that one, it doesn't fit your style. I thought you would be better off learning some techniques that were more in line with your personality."

"Oh, which ones then?"

"Some of the phoenix tribe attacks for starters… Your personality seems to be more attuned to fire than ice."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your temper."

Akane's side kick caught Ranma in the chest, sending him flying into a wall. Realizing what she had done, the short haired girl ran to her fiancé and cradled him in her arms. "Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Ranma are you alright."

"See, when you don't bend your back leg it makes the kick more powerful."

Akane looked the pig-tailed-boy in the eyes and laughed.

Cologne straddled her staff and hopped out from behind the counter, "Hey, son-in-law!"

"Yeah, old Ghoul?"

"I have another errand I need to run at the embassy. Finish wiping down that table, and then take a break before the dinner crowd begins arriving." Ranma let out a sigh, "Oh, and make sure you tell my grand-daughter and Mr. Good-for-Nothing that I will be back before five." The pig-tailed martial-artist nodded his head as the elder hopped by, cracking his skull with the knob of her staff mid-jump, "And show some respect for your elders."

He gritted his teeth as the Elder hopped out of the restaurant. One day he was going to figure out the trick she used to keep herself balanced on that damned staff, and then… well, he would think of something. But now it was time to relax before the nights rush. The Pig-tailed boy wrung out his rag in the pail on the floor, and carried it past the kitchen, out the back. Slinging the pail back with one hand he braced its bottom with the other and slung the water across the back lot, only to be startled by several stars as they slammed onto the side of the restaurant door.

"Sorry, Arien, Shampoo make this quick. Arien no get hurt." Shampoo dropped back into a low stance, barely avoiding the swipe of Mouse's halberd blade. Bending her front knee, she shifted her weight to the front, and brought her fist crashing into the blind boy's jaw.

Mouse recoiled from the blow, but recovered to catch the haft of the pole-arm on the Amazon's shirt just above her shoulder, pinning the girl against the restaurant wall. "Shampoo, my love, the victory is mine."

"How many time must Shampoo tell Mouse? Shampoo, no need Duck boy. Shampoo have Arien." Shampoo grabbed the haft of the halberd and twisted, throwing the unsuspecting boy across the yard into the brick fence. Shampoo turned away from the Chinese boy, her face a blank mask. "Moose go home. Shampoo no want see get hurt"

Ranma looked closely at the girls face, he wasn't quite sure but for a moment he swore he saw a trace of sadness in the girl's eyes. She glanced up at him and the moment was over, a smile returning to her lips, "Yo, Shampoo, the old witch asked me to tell you she stepped out for a while. She said something about going to the embassy."

"Go to give Arien and Shampoo time alone, no?" Shampoo smiled, "Come up with Shampoo to Shampoo's room. See where room be when you stay here for good."

Ranma took a step back and but his hands up to keep the girl at bay, "That's ok, how about later?"

"Ok, Ranma loss." The Amazon walked past Ranma, making sure that her hips popped with each step she took as she went back through the kitchen. Ranma waited till the door closed behind her and then walked over to Mouse.

"So if you want her, why don't you fight her all out?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," the blind boy said, as he pulled himself to his feet.

"I've fought both of you. You're better than that. You intentionally lowered your right arm 3cm so that she could get the leverage she needed to throw you. Don't deny it either, I watched you do it. Why? You win and its over, she's yours."

Mouse walked past Ranma, "You wouldn't understand."

Nabiki, pushed open the gate to the Kuno mansion and walked into the front garden. Satsuke met her half way, bowing in respect. "Ms. Tendou, what a privilege to see you here today, unannounced… To what do we owe this honor? But I regret to inform you that young master…"

"I have business, with Kuno-baby." Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "He will see me. Now."

"Yes, Ms. Tendou." Satsuke bowed, and then disappeared into the shadows of the Kuno estate.

The Mercenary-girl cradled an envelope in her crossed arms, as she looked about the estate with a new found respect. There were many scams and schemes that she had concocted in her short eighteen years, but the one she was looking at now… And to think no one had ever bothered to check. Yet, knowing what her research had uncovered, everything about the Kuno family suddenly made perfect since. It was almost enough to make her laugh.

"Hello, Tendo Nabiki," Kuno walked out of the estate and into the garden, "to what do I owe the pleasantries of this visit?"

"Enough flattery Kuno-baby, I'm here on business."

"From you I would expect as much."

Nabiki flinched, the words hurt. She was not sure why, but they hurt.

"So what can I do for you?" Kuno said, turning his back to her.

"You can start by leaving by sister and the 'Pig-tailed-goddess' alone. Burn the pictures. Destroy the shrine. Stop drooling over them. Find new objects for your affections."

"Abandon my true loves?" Kuno laughed, "Or else what?"

"Or else it would be a shame if someone at Emperor's palace were to learn of the contents of this envelope." Nabiki handed the small package to the would-be samurai. "I understand that crimes of this sort still carry a large penalty… even today."

Kuno took the envelope, and opened it, scanning the contents. "Satsuke."

"Yes, young master?"

"Gather up all of the photos of Tendo Akane, and the Pig-Tailed-Goddess."

"Yes, Master Kuno."

"Sutsuke, make sure that you include the photo's in the shrine as well."

"Yes, sir."

"This is low, even for one such as you Nabiki." Kuno turned to face his classmate, "I count the days till I am rid of you."

"Then good news, Kuno-baby." She said as she walked towards the gate, "Come the end of the summer you won't be seeing me anymore."

"Oh, why not?"

"I'm going away for school… in America."

"Oh," Kuno turned toward the gate, "Where at?"

"Harvard. Its one of the best schools in the world to study business."

"Funny, I've never heard of it." Kuno said as she closed the gate.

"Master Kuno," Satsuke said, as he dropped from a tree to the would-be samurai's right, "I have gathered the pictures as you ordered, would you still have me to destroy them?"

"If you would please," Kuno said as he walked back inside of the estate.

"Master," the servant looked up at his lord in fear, "what was in the envelope that would require you to do such a thing?"

Kuno looked back at Satsuke and smiled, "I do not know, I never read the contents."

Cologne stood behind the desk as the chief diplomat fidgeted behind his desk. It was common knowledge that the elders of the tribes of the Jusinkio area were exempt from all laws. You could not force one to do anything that she did not want to do of her own free will, and here hundreds of miles away, in Japan he was face to face with a very irate Elder. What had he ever done to anger the ancestors?

(What do you mean there has been no word from the region?) Cologne asked, leaning across the desk.

The diplomat squirmed in his chair as he wondered how a woman so short could manage to look down her nose at him, (I've talked with the officials in Beijing and there has been no word from the district in over a month. No official word has been able to leave the region, and all agents which have departed for the area have yet to return.)

The elder sighed, (What word has the Party received unofficially?)

(Unofficially we hear of rebellion. But from whom we are not sure. You understand our hesitance to enter the region in force without the support of your tribe.)

The elder nodded, if united, the three tribes would be more than a match for any army. (Then what do we do from here?)

(I am not sure, but when the party learns anything new, you will be the first to know, I promise.)

(Thank you,) Cologne said as she stood up to leave.

Akane sat up in her bed as she heard her name screamed through the wall. Today had been rough on everyone, especially Nabiki who had come home from her errands cursing and screaming. Kasumi had tried to lighten the middle sister's temperament, but that had resulted in the normally collected mercenary throwing a skillet through a window. As a result, everyone in the house just kept their distance while she stalked the halls, pacing and muttering to herself. It was almost as if Nabiki had computed the family's taxes only to find that they owed money. Now Ranma was having the nightmare again. She couldn't understand why he would not just tell her what the dream was about… It obviously involved her. She hated to hear him suffer like this. It hurt. She had to do something, but what?

Sliding out of the bed, the short haired girl slid into her slippers, and slinked across her room. Peering out the door she watched as a Panda holding a pillow shut the door to the guest room, and walked down the stairs. A light turned on. "He actually managed to wake you up?" Nadoka said from down stairs.

"Mowr," replied the Panda.

The light turned back off. Akane crept across the hall and opened the door. Ranma lay in his futon, tossing in his sleep.

"No, I won't let you kill her again."

Akane paused for a moment, puzzled. 'Again', what did he mean 'again?' She sat down next to the boy, and listened.

"To, hot. Akane drying out. Dehydrated. Need water. Water gone." Ranma shifted in his sleep, and wrapped his arms around the tomboy. His arms were firm, yet tense as the pig-tailed boy shook with fear. "No water. Akane don't leave."

"Its ok," the girl said, as she stroked his hair, petting him the same way that she did when he was in the neko-ken.

"No, I can't loose her."

"I'm here, its ok." Akane said. Ranma's shaking grew more violent as he held her in his sleep. She had to do something, or the nightmare would wake him again, and he would not be able to get back to sleep before his shift at the café in the morning. Cologne was working him to death, and if he didn't get sleep soon…

Thinking back to her own nightmares, she searched her memories for anything that could help. She remembered the song her mother sang to her as a child. Pulling her love close to her breast, she leaned forward. It would not hurt to try.

_Hitotsume__ no kotoba wa yume_

_nemuri__ no naka kara_

_mune__ no oku no kurayami wo sotto_

_tsuredasu__ no_

_futatsume__ no kotoba wa kaze_

_yukute__ wo oshiete_

_kamisama__ no ude no naka e_

_tsubasa__ wo aoru no_

_tokete__ itta kanashii koto wo_

_kazoeru__ you ni_

_kin__iro__ no ringo ga_

_mata__ hitotsu ochiru_

_mita__ koto mo nai fuukei_

_soko__ ga kaeru basho_

_tatta__ hitotsu no inochi ni_

_tadoritsuku__ basho_

_furui__ mahou no hon_

_tsuki__ no shizuku yoru no tobari_

_itsuka__ aeru yokan dake_

_we__ can fly_

_we__ have wings_

_we__ can touch floating dreams_

_call__ me from so far_

_through__ the wind_

_in__ the light_

_mittsume__ no kotoba wa hum .._

_mimi__ wo sumashitara_

_anata__ no furueru ude wo_

_sotto__ tokihanatsu_

Finishing the song, Akane closed her eyes, and cradled her head on his shoulder. Slumber found her, as Ranma stopped shaking and settled down. The two lovers slumbered in silent peace.

Main Page


	4. Chapter 4 Rain Down

Ramna ½: A Wedding

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It ain't mine. Don't sue me, I already owe to much money as it is.

Chapter Four

"But I know in my heart of heart of hearts  
I know I'm never gonna hold you again  
Now I, I wish it would rain down, down on me"

Phil Collins, "I wish it would rain down."

* * *

Ranma looked out the window as silver clouds obscured the morning sky. It was a false dawn. The sun had yet to rise, which meant that both of the families were still asleep. The pig-tailed boy had been awake for almost twenty minutes now. He dared not breathe out of fear that the short-haired girl would wake up.

She looked so peaceful lying there in her sleep. Her arms and legs were intertwined around him as they formed a lovers knot. He smiled. Only she could make yellow pajamas with black pigs look sensuous.

"Akane," he said as he kissed her forehead, "Time to get you back."

The short haired girl stretched and smiled, "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby."

Akane sighed. One of those would be nice. But not till later, much later. "Well, good. Between Cologne and your nightmares I was worried that you were running yourself ragged."

Ranma stood up and offered Akane his hand, "Let's get you back, before anyone else wakes up."

"Do I have to? Can't we just sleep in?"

"Do you want your father calling a minister tonight?"

The thought was tempting. They were getting married anyhow. But if it looked as though their parents had railroaded them into a wedding then neither Shampoo nor Ukyo would accept the outcome. There would be a repeat of the last ceremony for sure. Akane sighed, "I guess it can't last forever." She stood up and allowed Ranma to pull her into his arms as he carried Akane to the window.

"Can't we take the door?"

"It would wake Kasume." Ranma jumped, landing softly on the grass next to the pond. It was only a half-truth. He could sneak Akane back to her room fairly easily. This method required him to carry her in his arms. It was an added benefit.

"One day you are going to have to show me how to do this."

"That lesson starts next week."

"Oh," she said as he leapt towards her window. He landed on the ledge and leaned forward, his momentum coming to a rest as he lighted on her desk.

"I'll be in early tonight."

"Cologne let you off?"

"No," he gave her the self-sure smile, "Today's my last day."

"You have enough?"

"For a small one," Ranma said.

"It only took three weeks," she sighed, "I guess this means that we have to tell our parents?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. But when we do, you have to bring it up," Akane said. That is when the mayhem would really start. She reached up and kissed her soon-to-be fiancé. "I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too. I need to go in early today, to help the old ghoul get things ready for lunch." Ranma said as he jumped down from her window again.

"Remember don't eat anything she cooks for you." Aknae called as her gaze followed the pig-tailed boy out of the window. The morning mist descended on the garden as her fiancé's hair changed from brown to red. Ranma-chan looked up and smiled at the short-haired girl as she leaped over the garden wall. Akane watched her disappear from sight, letting her body flop to her bed when she could see her fiancé no longer. Holding her left hand in front of her face she smiled as she lightly stroked her ring finger. Tonight it would hold a diamond ring. "I'm getting married… I'm getting married…" she chanted.

* * *

Konastu held Ryoga's hand as the two of them walked to the jeweler's. He still was not quite sure as to what he should think about this situation. Ryoga had moved into the restaurant at Ukyo-sama's request three weeks ago. This was something he did not approve of. During this time Ryoga and he were sharing a room. The male ninja did not like this either. She and Ryoga had become all but inseparable. The male ninja could not tolerate that.

But, the closeness was due to the fanged boy's inaptitude for direction. If either Ukyo-sama or he did not keep a close eye on the lost-boy, he would wonder off somewhere and not be seen for days. And if he wondered off he wouldn't be able to ask his mystery girl to marry him… And if Ryoga never asked her he would never leave… And then the lost-boy and Ukyo-sama would continue to get closer… And the gender-confused ninja definitely would not tolerate that.

"Konastu, I realize that you are a guy and don't think of other guys that way," Ryoga said, "But do you have to hold my hand so tight."

Every pedestrian within earshot of the two stopped and looked at the couple. Both boys blushed bright red and smiled. Konastu giggled, hiked up the helm of his kimono and dashed around the corner, dragging the pig-boy with him. "Yes, it is necessary," he said, "Ukyo-sama said the next time I had to go look for you she would dock my time off from my pay." He thought he had been rid of Ryoga. How was the 'waitress' to know that his boss would make him go look for the wandering idiot?

Ryoga looked down at his feet, "Sorry, how should I have known the bus was headed to Kyoto?"

"That's what they make bus schedules for. Let's just get this over with. The sooner you get this ring the sooner you can be out of Ukyo-sama's hair."

Ryoga nodded. The sooner he got the ring the sooner he could leave.

"So, when are you going to ask her?"

"Ask her what?"

Konastu gritted his teeth, "To marry you."

"Oh, I wasn't sure. I thought I would wait for the right time."

Konastu paused for a second. That was unacceptable, Ukyo-sama would probably insist that the bumbling idiot stay and continue their 'practice' dates, while the gender-confused coached him on what women liked. He had to leave tonight… and that might not be soon enough. "Why don't you ask her tonight?"

Ryoga paused and looked up at the sky.

_Ryoga__ would drop down on one knee in the garden behind the Tendo_

_home as the rain poured down. Holding in his Umbrella in his left hand _

_he would pull out the ring with his right. "Akane Tendo, marry me and I will_

_make you so happy you forget about Ranma."_

_"Ranma who?" Akane would reply as she would throw her arms around_

_his neck._

_"Oh, my dearest Akane, you have made me the happiest man alive."_

_Ryoga would say._

_"Oh, Ryoga," his fiancé would say as she moved in to kiss him. Ryoga_

_would look back down at Ukyo and…_

Ryoga trembled. How did Ukyo get in that daydream?

"Are you Ok?" Konastu asked as he opened the door to the jewelry shop.

"Yeah," he said, "Just a scary thought."

The gender-confused ninja shrugged his shoulders as he followed the lost boy into the jeweler's. Boys were strange.

* * *

Ranma walked up to the old Ghoul while she lay on the counter smoking her pipe. "Hey, old Ghoul, do you have my pay for this week?"

The Amazon elder cocked an eyebrow, "Its Friday isn't it? What has you so worked up Son-in-Law?"

Ranma gritted his teeth. She knew damn well why he was asking for the money. "I need to go shopping."

Cologne smiled, "Oh, what for?" The elder poked the pig-tailed-boy's chest, "I know you don't need to go shopping. You're always wearing the same shirt. Although I guess you could use a few braziers, living with Happy and all."

Ranma shivered, "Come on old Ghoul. I need to get to the merchant's district before the jeweler's closes. Please."

The elder paused. She had never heard him use that word before outside of the Soatome secret technique. It was a shame that her great-granddaughter had to let that one slip through her fingers. But then her granddaughter had lost before she ever knew she wanted to compete. That Tendo girl was something, a proud Amazon that one would be. "Here, here is your money, along with an advance for next week. Consider it an engagement present from me."

Ranma took the envelope that the elder held out to him. "Thank you; I don't know what to say."

Cologne smiled at the boy. For a moment the pig-tailed martial artist could have sworn that her aura reflected deep sorrow. "With as much as you have done for my tribe in the past, and will do in the future, it's the least I could do. Now go, just remember that your intended won't get off work until after the café closes." Ranma smiled, the old Ghoul still did not suspect anything. "And no proposing during the dinner rush, Shampoo won't earn any tips tonight if all the boys know her fiancé is in the café."

The boy stifled a laugh, that wouldn't be a problem. Cologne watched the boy leave the restaurant; it had been fun playing with him the past few weeks. She sighed. Now it was over, and the boredom would set in again.

"Shampoo, so happy. Tonight have ring," the young Amazon pirouetted around the room. "Tomorrow have Ranma. Next week China."

The elder laughed to her-self. But maybe there was a bit of entertainment left to milk out of all of this. Mouse, however, frowned. Tonight would not be easy.

* * *

Kuno sulked as he strolled through the estate garden. He could not stand the bare walls of his room, it was bizarre. There should be photos everywhere of his true loves: pictures of the athletic and lithe Tendo Akane, photos of the buxom and divine pig-tailed-goddess. But he could share in their true love no more. Tendo Nabiki had seen to that with her blackmail, threatening to expose his family's darkest secret. But then, if it was the loss of his true loves which was troubling. It was his thoughts. If ideas were pathways and thoughts were meadows, then the young master did not care for the direction that his mind was meandering towards without the distracting presence of the two lusty girls.

"Young Master," Sasuke asked, "What was in that envelope has you fretting so?"

"I told you Sasuke, I never read the contents."

Sasuke laughed, "I shall take your word for it then. I will pry no further."

"Harvard," Kuno said.

The Ninja smiled, "And why does this worry you so? The seer's prophesy perhaps?"

"I thought I forbid you to mention any word of that charlatan or his foolery in my presence."

"My apologies master, if there is nothing that I can do to help, allow me to take my leave." Sasuke turned toward the shadows to disappear.

"Wait." The urgency in Kuno's voice pulled the Ninja back. "Do you think that she was telling the truth? Is she really leaving?"

Sasuke bowed to hide his smile. His charges were easy to read. "I could find out for you, Young master, if you so desire?"

"I do." Kuno said, as he turned to examine a lily blossom. "And Sasuke?"

"Yes Master Kuno?"

"If she has accepted the offer of the American school, take whatever measures you deem appropriate."

"Yes Master Kuno."

* * *

Ryoga walked into the Uchan's, "I got it."

Ukyo jumped across the grill, "Let me see, let me see."

Konastu rolled his eyes. Ryoga dug into his pockets and pulled out a Tiffany blue box. He eased open the cover and revealed an intricately carved band. "Ryoga, its beautiful. God, I hope Ranma gets me one like this."

"Well, Konastu said this was the one I should get," Ryoga blushed.

"Konastu?"

"I told him that with a ring like that there was no way the girl could say no. Did we do a good job?"

Ukyo hugged the pseudo-girl, "Oh, Konastu, you did wonderful."

Konastu blushed. "I well… I… um…"

Ukyo stood up, "Ryoga, you should ask her tonight. It would be perfect."

The gender confused ninja nodded enthusiastically the faster Ryoga asked the quicker he would leave, "Yes. The sooner the better."

"But isn't it supposed to rain tonight?"

"Ryoga," Konastu said, "Don't you know anything? Rain is romantic. If you ask her tonight she won't be able to resist the romantic atmosphere."

"Are you sure?" Ryoga closed the box. "I don't think tonight would be…"

"Konastu is right" Ukyo nodded, "If you ask her tonight there is no way she could say no."

"But what about the rain?

The kunoichi sighed in frustration at this rate he would never get him to leave, "Come on. Why not use that umbrella that you are always carrying around."

Ryoga looked down at the blue box. If he were to become wet, everything would be ruined tonight. But if he pulled it off, there was no way that Akane could say no.

_"Oh, Ryoga," Akane would say as they sat around their dining room table,_

_"Remember when you asked me to marry you?"_

_"Yes, dear how could I forget?" he would reply as he ate her wonderful_

_cooking._

_"I don't think I would have agreed to marry you if it had not have been for_

_the rain."_

"I'll do it." Ryoga said.

* * *

Ranma looked back at the store window one last time as he twirled a burgundy box with his right hand, unaware of the pair of eyes that had been stalking him for several hours now.

"Oh, Ranma-sama," Kodachi said as she bounded into his arms, "You should not have."

"I didn't."

"No, not another word, my love. The ring you hold in your hand tells me all that I need to know."

"Then you know?" Ranma scratched his head in confusion.

"Well yes, and though it is a small, cheep thing…"

"Cheep, I'll have you know I…" Ranma said, doing his best to control his anger.

"It's the thought that counts, and I will treasure it when you place it on my hand."

"Give it to you?" the pig-tailed boy stuttered, "Kodachi…"

"Not now, my love," the gymnast blushed bright burgundy matching the box the boy bared. "Wait till tonight when the moon is full and the mood is perfect."

"What?"

"Then I can introduce you to father, and we can ask his blessing since Tachi has already granted us his." Kodachi leaned in and kissed the young martial artist on the cheek as he paused at the storefront in his confusion.

"But I don't want your father's…."

"Then we elope? How romantic. I'll do it for you, Ranma-sama," Ranma opened his mouth in protest, but Kodachi placed a finger on his lips to silence him, "Until tonight my love, good-bye."

A cloud of pollen and black rose petals filled the marketplace, blinding the boy momentarily. When his burning eyes finally refocused the girl was gone, leaving behind a very confused martial-artist. "I can't wait till this is over."

* * *

Nadoka and Kasumi sat in the kitchen sipping tea as Nabiki stormed in, tearing open the cabinets searching randomly for something.

"Nabiki, dear, what are you looking for," Nadoka asked.

"Arsenic… Rat Poisson… Something sharp I can run through the old man's belly."

Kasumi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, are you angry with father."

Nabiki glowered at the two women sitting at the kitchen table.

"What happened?" Auntie asked.

"I was out at the Market, checking on some investments and collecting on some loans when this man in a red jacket came out of nowhere and asked my name was Nabiki Tendo."

"That's nice," Kasumi took another sip of tea.

"And then there were twenty men. In red suits. Singing. They followed me around all day."

"That sounds romantic," Nodoka rolled her eyes, "Why are you complaining?"

"They were the Tokyo University Glee Club. And they were singing the school fight song. I don't know how he did it. But if this doesn't end soon the old man is going to pay." Nabiki stormed out of the kitchen. Stomped up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door.

Nadoka and Kasumi giggled over the rims of their teacups.

* * *

Mouse stood in the door of the cat café, while Shampoo scowled at him. "Duck Boy, get out my way."

"Shampoo, you really don't want to go to the dojo tonight."

"You know nothing. Ramna choose Shampoo."

"Then maybe you should wait for him to bring the ring to you." Cologne suggested from behind the counter.

"No, grandmother, Shampoo want Kitchen-destroyer to know Ramna belong to Shampoo. Shampoo want to see look on her face when Ramna give Shampoo ring."

"But Shampoo…"

"Mouse, step aside," Cologne said, she looked away from her great-great-granddaughter. "Let her go, there is nothing you can do."

Mouse lowered his head in defeat and stepped aside.

"Thank you great-grandmother." Shampoo pushed passed Mouse and bounded off into the night. The blind-boy watched her as she disappeared over the roof of the building adjacent to the café.

"We both know what she will learn tonight at the dojo." The elder placed a hand on the male Amazon's shoulder. "When the time comes stop her before she does something she will regret."

Mouse nodded, and followed the pink-haired girl into the night.

* * *

"Ryoga, are you ready yet?" Ukyo called from the bottom of the stares.

"Yes, I'm coming. Konastu, where did you say the stairs were again?"

"Its right behind you," Konastu's voice called from upstairs. "No, that's our room Ryoga-sama. No…" Someone sighed. " For Christ's sake, here."

Ryoga rolled down the stares, coming to a stop at Ukyo's feet. "Danmit you didn't have to push me," Ryoga yelled towards the top of the stairs.

"Just trying to help Ryoga-sama." Konastu called back sweetly.

Ukyo giggled, Ryoga was cute when he was angry. It was probably the way his fangs stood out when he yelled. Somehow it reminded her of a growling puppy. "Get your Umbrella, silly. We need to go before the rain gets any heavier."

"Yes, ma'am," Ryoga said as he stood up.

"And don't forget the ring." Ukyo said as she stood at the restaurant door.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Kodachi sat at the manor entryway. Her wedding Kimono was getting uncomfortable. Where was Ranma-sama? Had he forgotten her? Surely not. No one could forget her. Not with her feminine charms. He had just been delayed.

Outside the rain was coming down harder. Maybe something had happened to him. She should go look, after all it wouldn't do to have her soon to be fiancé injured on the day of their engagement day.

"Sasuke," Kodachi called, "Bring my umbrella."

"Yes my lady," Susaku said, appearing from the ceiling. "May I ask where you are going on such a night?"

"To fetch my fiancé." She said as she opened the umbrella, and stepped outside.

* * *

Akane was surprised by the light rap at her bedroom window. The rain was coming down in sheets, and the idea that anyone would be outside, especially on a night like tonight was surprising. She looked up, to be greatted by the sight of a very cold, wet Ramna. "Are you ok?" she asked as she pushed the window open.

"I'm fine," the red-headed girl shivered uncontrollably as she stepped inside her fiancé's room, "Do you have any hot water."

"That depends," Akane stood at the window, her arms crossed in front of her. "Why do you smell like roses?"

"It happened when Kodachi kissed me," Ramna laughed nervously.

"When she did what?" Akane began to glow light red. "She better have been using a paralysis powder."

"She was using something alright."

Akane punched the pig-tailed boy in the stomach.

"Ouch." The young martial artist gasped.

The tomboy smiled, "That was for letting her kiss you." She reached down and pecked her fiancé on the cheek. "If it had been Ukyo or Shampoo I would have used the mallet."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ramna said as the short-haired girl emptied the contents of a kettle on his head.

"So what's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Bull, you don't use the window unless something is wrong."

"Well there is that entire fear of death thing." Akane elbowed her fiancé lightly in the ribs.

"Then why are you here."

"Well, I kind of wanted to give you this." Ramna pulled a small burgundy box out of his pocket.

"Give me wha…"

"I got the money to day. It's not very big but…" Akane raised her hand to her face in astonishment. "I ain't very good with words, and I tend to put my foot in my mouth a lot, but will you?"

Akane tackled the boy, knocking the ring box out of his hands. She snatched it off the floor, and slid it on her finger. "I got my ring… I got my ring…" she half chanted.

"Was that a yes?"

"Of course silly." She smiled and hugged him again.

"I guess this means that we have to tell our families," Ramna said.

"It can wait till morning," Akane said as she snuggled her fiancé's chest.

* * *

Outside Akane's window five teenagers stood holding umbrellas, they had heard everything. Kodachi was hyperventilating. Ukyo was trying to fight back the tears. Ryoga had never felt so numb. Shampoo shook with rage. "Shampoo, kill."

"Shampoo, stop. Its over." Mouse said.

"It never over. Ranma mine."

"Shampoo."

"Duck-boy, get out of Shampoo's…." Shampoo dropped her umbrella as she lost conscious, transforming into kitten. Behind her the Amazon elder perched on her cane.

"Old ghoul you…" Mouse begain.

"Hit her sleep point while you had her preoccupied," the elder said, "You did well, Mr. Part-timer. The distraction kept me from having to injure her."

"What now?" Moose asked.

"Pick her up, Moose, its time to go home. That goes for the rest of you to. There is nothing more to be done here." Cologne said as she tuned to leave.

Mouse scooped the sleeping kitten into his arms and followed the elder. Ryoga watched the Amazons leave. He hurt. But for some reason his thoughts kept turning to the chief standing next to him. "Ukyo, are you ok?"

The chief sobbed.

"Ukyo, lets go home." Ryoga put his arm around the crying girl and pulled her away, leaving Kodachi alone in the cold wet. Tears mingled with the raindrops, as the girl fell to her knees.

"Ramna-sama, why?"


	5. Chapter 5 Behind these Hazel Eyes

Ramna ½: A Wedding

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It ain't mine. Don't sue me, I already owe to much money as bit is.

"I told you everything opened up and let you inYou made me feel alright for once in my lifeNow all that's left of me is what I pretend to beSo together, but so broken up inside 'Cause I can't breatheNo, I can't sleep I'm barely hangin' on" 

-Kelly Clarkson, "Behind These Hazel Eyes"

The entry bell to Uc-chan's dinged as Konastu turned from the night's dishes to welcome the customer, "Welcome to Uc-chan's may I help…"

Ukyo scrambled behind the grill, past the kunochi, up the stairs and slammed her door.

"What happened?" the gender confused boy asked.

"The worst thing possible," Ryoga said. His body and mind was numb.

"She said no?"

"Worse, she said: 'yes…'" the pig-boy exhaled. Talking about the conversation they had the misfortune to overhear caused the heavy chi to swirl about him. "just, not to me."

"Then she is getting married to…"

"Ranma," Ryoga finished. "Konastu, I'm tired could you take me up to the room. I want to sleep."

"Sure," Konastu placed Ryoga's hand on his shoulder. "Ryoga, shall I help you pack for your return trip home?"

"I'm not leaving yet." Ryoga said as they started up the stairs.

"But I thought you would be leaving after you received your answer from Akane."

"I am… I mean I was… I don't know." Ryoga sputtered. "I don't want to leave until I know that Ukyo is going to be alright.

The kunochi frowned, "But…"

Ryoga walked into their shared room, "Look Konastu," he said, looking over his shoulder at the boy, "I know this is a bit of an inconvenience but I just can't leave a friend."

"I understand."

Ryoga nodded his head, sat down on the bed and watched as Konastu walked towards Ukyo's room. He lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling. He was exhausted, but he couldn't rest. His mind kept wondering back to Ukyo, and the heartbreak on her face, as she heard Ranma propose to Akane.

* * *

Cologne and Moose looked up at the ceiling as glass shattered upstairs. Muffled screaming seeped down to the ground floor. "Shampoo is awake," Cologne said.

The blind boy shuffled nervously in his chair as he looked down at his tea, "Do you think she's going to try to stop it?"

"Yes, against all better judgment." Cologne frowned. "Are you going to help her this time?"

"I… I don't know."

Cologne raised an eyebrow.

"I have made a promise, but…"

"You love her?"

Moose nodded his head. "What about you, old Ghoul?"

"Not this time, Mr. Part-timer. The council has made alternate arrangements. I will not interfere."

The blind boy looked up at the elder, clearly confused. Cologne patted the boy on the back and hopped back to the kitchen laughing.

* * *

Konastu fidgeted back and forth as he rapped on Ukyo's door. She was upset and needed to talk to someone.

"Go away," the girl's voice said.

"Ukyo, its me," the kunochi replied, "would you like to talk?"

"No."

"I know you hurt now, but things will get better I promise." Konastu listened closely at the door. He could hear Ukyo sniffle. "It hurts when you love someone who will not return your feelings." Especially when the one that you love is in love with Ranma. He could never say that of course. Not now, it was too soon. But it allowed him empathy, and that was something. "I understand how you feel."

"You understand how I feel?" The voice on the other side of the door had a feral tone, causing the gender confused boy to distance himself from the door.

"You know how in the hell I feel?" Ukyo continued as she flung open the door. "When he left me the first time, I threw away my childhood, my life and my femininity in pursuit of revenge. I trained day and night. I fought against the cold ocean. Trained in the snow, rain and sometimes hail, with only my hatred for Ranma to keep me warm. All for Ranma.

"Then, ten years later, when I find him, do you know what I did to him?" she asked

"Nothing." Konastu said, as he looked at the floor. He knew the story by heart

"I did nothing. Because he looked up at me with those blue eyes, and he told me that I was his cute fiancé. All of those years training. All of that hatred I had saved up. All that I had left in my life, and I sacrificed it again for him. Sacrificed everything in my life… again. Because of that dammed smile.

"I've bit my tongue around that witch he's getting married to. I've plotted. I've schemed. I've lied. I've been the best friend he's ever had." Ukyo shook with rage at her waitress, "I've given him everything I am. And what did it get me? Nothing." Ukyo grabbed a vase from her night stand and threw it at the door. It shattered. Shrapnel sliced the gender confused boy's face as he stood in shock. "So don't you stand there and tell me that you fucking understand." Ukyo raised a fist to the kunochi.

"Ukyo, stop." Ryoga said as he grabbed her arm breaking her swing. "I'm not going to let you hurt Konastu."

"Don't start Ryoga, you don't know how this feels." the spatula girl pushed the pig boy. He didn't budge.

"He chose someone else." Ryoga pushed her on to her tail and back into her room. "Get over it."

"You don't understand." Ukyo cried, "He was supposed to choose me."

"What made you think that?" Ryoga pushed her again. The cook, tripped and lost her footing. Loosing her balance the girl stumbled backwards and fell through the second story window. Ukyo tucked her head behind her in a flip to regain her balance and landed on her feet in the alley below.

"Because I was the cute one, damn it," Ukyo looked up at the lost boy from the pavement. Ryoga leapt down from the window, and landed next to the hazel-eyed girl. She looked up at him with broken eyes and cried, "He told me I was the cute one…"

"I know." Ryoga wrapped his arms around her and held her. Her chi was heavy. Almost as heavy as his own. As they stood there, their chi swirled around, intermingling. The boy looked down at Ukyo, gently brushed the hair from her eyes and then turned to the heavens.

"Lion's Roar Attack," he yelled as a column of chi erupted from the pair, shot up into the sky and then fell back to the earth. The couple stood in the middle of the explosion unharmed, their desire to end their lives keeping them safe.

Ukyo looked up at Ryoga and smiled before loosing consciousness. The lost boy was so warm. Somehow, his warmth crept from his body and into hers. Their hearts tingled.

Konastu watched as she collapsed in the lost-boy's arms, and frowned. This was not good at all. He would have to put an end to this once and for all.

* * *

Ranma and Akane stood at the top of the stairs. Her knees were shaking. Ranma smiled, reached down and grabbed his fiancée's hand. The ring on her finger felt awkward as it rubbed against her finger. The tomboy looked up at her knight in shining armor and smiled.

"We can do this," he said, "as long as we stick together."

"Hai." But the butterflies warned her otherwise.

The pair descended the stairs for the first time as a couple. Their hands intertwined, knuckles white as they latched on to one another for support. In the dining room they could hear the rest of the family gathered around the table for breakfast.

"Mr. Soatome, would you like some more rice porridge?"

"Why thank you Kasumi, I don't mind if I do," followed by the soft sound of sword scraping scabbard. "Never mind, I think I've had enough."

"Genma dear, you are doing so well on your diet," Nadoka said.

"So, Nabiki, when do you move into the dorms at Tokyo?" Soun asked.

"For the last time, daddy, I'm not…"

The table went silent as the two fiancés walked into the room, hand in hand and sat at the table. Nadoka hid her smile behind her sleeve, as Soun glanced out the window for symbols of the approaching apocalypse. The diamond on Akane's hand sparkled like a beacon. Nabiki sighed in relief; this would distract her father for a little while at least.

"Please pass the soy sauce," Akane said quietly.

Genma leapt to his feet and danced around the table, "Now the two houses will be joined. Praise be to the ancestors."

"This is wonderful," Kasumi smiled, "have you set the date?"

Akane swallowed, "Umm… next week?"

"So soon?" Nadoka beamed, "My son is so manly."

"You know what this means," Happosi leaned toward Nabiki, "Wedding Lingerie."

The couple blushed. Meanwhile, one member of the family was unusually silent.

"Ranma, Akane." Soun placed his chopsticks over his soy sauce bowl. "While I am happy that you have decided on a course of action I cannot let the two of you wed. At least, not yet."

"Why in the hell not?" Ranma stood, flipping the table. Akane, reached up and grabbed the pig-tailed boy's pantleg, taming his temper in an instant.

"When did I tell you at the last ceremony that you could get married?" Soun asked as he brushed rice from his lap.

"When we had taken care of our external circumstances," Akane replied quietly.

"And have the two of you done this?"

"No, he has not," the short haired girl told her father.

"My son is not the only one with external circumstances," Nadoka's voice was frigid. "Thus, neither can I approve of this match until you have resolved yours as well."

"But dear…" Genma started. Her sword scraped the scabbard again and Ranma's father went silent.

"We should give them till the end of the week then?" Soun asked Nadoka.

"Yes this seems reasonable enough."

Ranma sat back down at the table. Akane's hand found his and gave it a small squeeze. This was better than the expected, though worse than they had hoped.

* * *

Konastu crept into the room that he shared with Ryoga. The proposal was botched. The lost-boy continued to live with Ukyo-sama and himself. Konastu did not like this, not at all. But maybe he could find something that could help.

He started with the backpack. Ryoga's belongings were still largely contained in his backpack. Ryoga never unpacked, instead he lived out of his bag. Only the clothes that he had worn over the past month sat in the drawers. The lost boy's side of the room was Spartan. If he had anything of a personal nature that the waitress could use to get rid of him, it would be in the backpack.

It was full of packages, each bearing the name Akane. Gifts that would never be given. Not now, not ever. Konastu sighed, and placed the packages back in the backpack. There was nothing here, nothing he could use. Or so he thought, until his hand brushed past a long ridge of bound envelopes.

"What's this?" he asked. Konastu pulled his hand out of the backpack, bringing the envelopes with him. Love letters. The gender confused ninja smiled; here was something he could use, a name. Akari Unryuu.

* * *

Shampoo bounded down the stairs, bubbling to the disbelief of the Amazon elder who watched her from the kitchen.

"What has you so cheerful, grand-daughter?"

"Shampoo have plan… Shampoo know how to separate Arien and Kitchen Destroyer. Shampoo, just need antidote."

"Antidote?" Cologne raised an eyebrow. "An antidote for what, pray-tell?"

"The potion Akane give Arien that make him propose. When have antidote Arien realize mistake Arien making. Arien leave violent girl and come back to Shampoo. All Shampoo need is antidote."

"Ah," the elder sighed, shaking her head softly. The first stage of grief. This would be more difficult than she had hoped.

"So, Grandmother when will Grandmother and Shampoo make antidote?"

"I'm afraid your on your own this time, child."

"Why?"

The Amazon Elder turned her back to her granddaughter and began setting out the ingredients for the days special. "First, there is no antidote to make. Second, even if there was, I cannot help you this time. The council has made other arrangements."

No, Grandmother, I refuse to believe it…

"Japanese, Girl, Japanese." Cologne scolded as she lightly tapped the girl on the head with her staff.

"Grandmother, will help Shampoo… Shampoo insist."

"You insist, do you?" The old ghoul laughed, "My dear child, when you have seen all that I have in life… The rise of the Mongol emperors, finding a mate, the fall of the Mongol emperors. The fall of China, and the beginning of the European 'Sphere's of influence.' The great civil war that killed my mate. The rise of the communists, and the great cultural revolution that almost killed us all. Not to mention burying children great grand children and their decedents… No, you are 600 years to young to order me around."

"But… Grandmother." The tears brimmed up in the young girl's eyes.

"Child, I know that you think that you love him."

"Shampoo not think, Shampoo know. Grandmother not understand," the Amazon cried as she ran out of the room. "No one but Shampoo understand."

* * *

Mr. Crocodile huddled in front of Tatewaki's door with two of the other three male members of the Kuno household. Normally the soft, pink, fleshy creatures in front of him would rouse his appetite, but with mistress on a rampage, his feeding instinct was overwhelmed by his survival instinct. Odds were that if she crossed his path tonight he would be a handbag by morning. That's where the soft, fleshy, pink creatures came in. Without spines or scales the creatures would make easier targets for the mistress. After all, when he was in this group, he did not have to outrun the mistress, only the soft, pink, fleshy creatures.

The elder, soft, pink one knocked on the door of the strange creature that carried the stick. Mr. Crocodile nodded his head in agreement, adding another, weaker member to the group would be a good strategy. "Hey, Tachi, open up de door for de big kahuna, brother. We be needing to talk."

"Foul createn, I told you to never call for me in such a low manner ever again. You will address me as Kuno Takewaki, as befits one of my station," the would be samurai said as he opened the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Brother. Look its about little Sister. Me no think Kodachi be feeling to well, and me and the boys be thinking you should talk to her."

Sasuke, and Mr. Crocodile nodded their heads in agreement, a living sacrifice might appease the mistress.

"How, bad could it possibly be?"

An explosion shook the house as Kodaci's maniacal laughter sounded through the house. "Ranma-sama is mine, you inpetulant girl."

The eldest Kuno smiled at his son. "Dat bad."

Tachiwaki sighed, "I do not wish to do this at all." The three other males gasped inhaled in terror, if not Tachiwaki then who would be the sacrifice? "But I have given my word to another… Where is she?"

"In da green-house."

"Very well, I'm off then."

Mr. Crockodile, Sasuke and Kuno watched as the youngest male walked to his doom, completely unarmed. "Dere goes a brave brother."

Sasuke smiled, "It's amazing what a man will do for the right girl."

Mr. Crocodile shrugged his shoulders in ignorance, while Principal Kuno raised an eyebrow at the servant. There are some questions which should remain unanswered.

* * *

Konastu twirled the phone cord in his hands as he stared at the number he has scrawled on the paper next to Akari's name. His stomach cramped. "Come on, girl. It's not that hard, all you have to do is press a few buttons and say a few words."

But it was more than a few words. This was going to hurt Ukyo-sama. She had been getting so close to Ryoga lately. Speaking to him in soft tones. Crying unabashed on his shoulder. Talking until the wee hours of the morning. The gender confused boy grinded his teeth. Staying in his room. The lost boy had to go.

One call and Ryoga was gone. This Akari girl would come, and he would leave with her. And Ukyo-sama would be crushed again. She was starting to develop feelings for the strange boy. It would be just like with Ranma again, only worse… because it would be again.

Only this time it would be his shoulder she would cry on. Ukyo would speak to him in soft tones. Talk to him until the wee hours of the morning. He had to make this call, and then he needed to become a man whom Ukyo-sama could love. The gender-confused boy dialed the number, and waited for the voice on the other end.

"Hello."

"Hello, is Akari Unryuu there?"

* * *

Nabiki stood in her younger sisters doorway, and watched as the young couple sat scheming a solution to the external circumstances. Ranma sat at the desk, his scowling head leaning on his fist. Below him Akane sat at his feet, her arm wrapped around his leg. They looked so cute when they were scheming together.

"Ok, I'll tell Ukyo when I ask her to be the made of honor," Akane said as she threw her hands in the air in frustration. "But I don't understand why you insist that I can't be there when you ask Ryoga to be your best man. He's such a good friend, and I want to tell him myself."

"Just trust me," Ranma said, "You don't want to be there; it will be hard enough to tell him with out you."

"Why would it…"

Nabiki coughed, and the two teenagers scrambled to their feet, "We weren't doing anything."

"You know... when you react like that," the mercenary said trying to suppress a giggle, "you're asking for a hand check."

"A what?" the pig-tailed martial artist asked. His short haired fiancé whispered into his ear, and the teen blushed. "You mean we could do that?"

Akane jabbed Ranma in the ribs with a sharp elbow, "Not till after we are married… Pervert."

"I'm not the one who knew what she was talking about, tomboy."

Akane quickly stuck out her tongue at the boy.

"Could you at least wait until I leave before you start flirting with one another?" Nabiki sighed.

"Don't look at us, you started it…" her sister smiled.

"Touché…" Nabiki laughed. That seemed to come so much easily now, the laughter. It had been so hard since mother died, and then…

"What's up, sis?" Ranma asked.

"Nothing," Nabiki lied, "I've just been talking to… Wait, did you just call me sis?"

Ramna shrugged, "Practice?"

"You aren't a part of the family yet." The mercenary arched an eyebrow.

"Nabiki, stop giving my fiancé a hard time, and who was it that you were talking to?"

"Oh, yeah," Nabiki said as she leaned against the door frame. "I talked with Kuno-baby yesterday."

"About what?" Akane asked.

"The two of you." The middle Tendo bit her bottom lip. "Let's just say that one pair of your external circumstances has been taken care of."

"How?" Ranma asked, sitting on the bed in confusion.

"Everyone has a secret. Some people are just willing to pay higher prices to keep their secrets than others."

"And how much was Kuno willing to…" Akane asked, trying to wrap her head around the story her sister was telling her.

"He promised to give up on the Pigtailed girl, and the Goddess Akane Tendo. He will agree to keep his sister in check as well… or else."

"How… why…" the couple stammered.

"How is one of my secrets," Nabiki smiled, "As for why… it's your wedding present. It was the least I could do after last time."

"Thanks," Ranma said, "this means a lot."

"I know," Nabiki smiled as she turned to walk away, "Just keep those hands where we can see them."

The two teenagers looked down at the floor in embarrassment, and then back at each other. Akane's mischievous grin caught Ranma's eye.

"Tomboy, why are you looking at me like that?"

* * *

The ancient elder looked down at the letter that she had written the tribal council where it sat on the table along side the note that had accompanied it on its return. This was not a good sign. Something bad was happening at the village.

_Due to political instability in the area, we are unable_

_to deliver this post to the given address. For further_

_information please contact the embassy in __Tokyo_

Cologne, lit her pipe, and meditated on the meaning behind the note. For the first time in many years she was afraid.

* * *

Kuno wrapped on his sister's door. The house had grown unusually still. And while Kodachi could be pompous, elitist and bothersome, she was his sister. A situation which required that he show some concern from time to time.

"Foul witch, are you alright, or should I call for the servants to cut your body down from the rafters?"

"And why would they need to do that?" the Black Rose asked from behind the door.

"Well, I was hoping that you had already hung yourself."

The door opened, and the dark haired girl greeted him with a smug smile, "Sorry to disappoint, brother dear. But as you can see I have no need to dangle my body from the ceiling like some strange fruit hanging from a tree."

"Ah, so it is to be poison then?" Kuno asked.

"Why would I want to poison myself on the eve of my engagement?"

"To whom, and why haven't I met the man?"

"But brother dear, you have," Kodachi smiled. "Don't you remember Ranma-sama from your school? Or have you taken one to may blows to the head?"

"Ranma?" Kuno looked at his sister in confusion.

"Well, he was out shopping for rings yesterday, surely the rain kept him away last night, or he would have proposed then," Kodachi beamed. "Is it not wonderful? It's just like a romance novel, where I am the lead… And Ranma is my knight in shining armor."

Kuno looked at his sister mutely and nodded his head.

"Now if you will please excuse me I must be ready for my Ranma-sama when he gets here," Kodachi said as she pushed her brother away from her door, and closed it behind her.

* * *

Kasumi sat at the table in the living-room with Nadoka, as the two of them looked over catalogues and laughed together. Kasumi sighed, "Oh, Auntie. Things just won't be the same around here when you get your apartment fixed again."

"Tell me about it Kasumi," Mr. Soatome smiled, "It's been nice to have someone around for girl talk."

"Things just aren't going to be the same when you're apartment's repairs are finished."

"Oh, please," Nadoka rolled her eyes, "You know I'll come by every few days for to visit my husband… after all, you didn't think I was going to take him with me did you?"

The eldest Tendo giggled. "Auntie, you're terrible."

A petite cough from the corner cabinet caught. A diminutive girl stood in the corner, her mouth covered by her sleeve.

"Well, hello…" Nadoka said, turning in her chair.

"Hello…" the young girl replied.

"It's Konastu isn't it, the male kunochi?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes, I am."

"I remember father talking about you. May I get you some tea?" the eldest Tendo asked as she picked up the kettle.

"Thank you, I would love some," the gender confused boy replied as he walked to the table.

"Konastu… Oh wait I remember you from the wedding… you came with Ukyo. I'm afraid that my son isn't in right now, but if…"

"Actually, Mrs. Saotome I'm here to talk to you." Konastu interjected. Nadoka gave the boy an appraising look and motioned for him to continue. "You see, I was raised by my stepmother and two sisters to be a girl. I've always been happy like this in the past but…"

"There is a girl, isn't there?" Nadoka sipped her tea. "And, I bet she's in love with my son, isn't she?"

Konastu nodded his head. "You and your husband raised Ranma to be a man among men. I thought that if that is what she wanted, then maybe I should…"

"And you want me to help you become a man among men?"

The kunochi nodded.

"Well, Kasumi, what do you think?"

"Well, Auntie, it will definitely be a challenge."

Mrs. Saotome smiled, "The life of a Martial Artist is filled with peril, and one cannot back down from a challenge"

Konastu looked at the two laughing ladies and trembled in fear.

* * *

Shampoo sat at the table in the kitchen. Her eyes framed in a raccoon mask. She had not slept for two days. Dreams were not coming easy to the girl as of late. Her thoughts would not let her sleep. They kept drifting to the rooftop.

"Have some tea." Mouse placed a cup of dark liquid on the table in front of her.

"Shampoo want nothing from Mousse." The pink-haired girl half-heartedly pushed the cup aside with the back of her hand.

"Shampoo…"

"Shampoo not understand how Kitchen Destroyer do it. Violent girl no steal potion from Grandmother. Must have taken from Doctor."

"Shampoo, it's not a potion."

"Potion will be hard to reverse without knowing what potion made from."

Mouse sighed, she was not listening. She had not been listening for two days now. Cologne had tried to tell her after she finally came to. "I know this is hard for you to accept. I listened to you cry yourself to sleep last night. But Ranma loves Akane. You can not change that with either a potion or a plan…"

"Grandma said Grandmother not help this time." Shampoo whispered to herself, "But Mouse help, no? Mouse always help."

Damnit, Mouse yelled at Shampoo in Mandarin. He leaned across the table, knocking over the teacup, spilling the tea on the floor. He does not love you. Don't you understand. You lost, she won. Game over. When are you going to get this through that thick skull of yours?

I did not loose. I never loose. Shampoo shook with rage, I'm the strongest warrior in the village. I have been victorious against much greater foes than that clumsy, clueless, Japanese home wrecker who thinks she can steal my man.

Damnit, woman, he was never your man. Why do you refuse to listen to reason?

Maybe, it's because you're yelling at a bush. Shampoo's eyes dripped venom as she stared at the blind boy.

"Shampoo, I'm sorry." Mouse's shoulders slumped as he lost his composure. Meekly he turned from the fichus.

"Mouse, silence." Shampoo's voice turned to ice. "Shampoo not need Duck-boy's help."

Mouse watched as Shampoo turned away and climbed the stairs to the café's living quarters. The tap of a staff clicking on tile surprised him, as the wrinkled elder tossed a dishrag over his shoulder.

"Clean up your mess, Mr. Part-timer." She said, as she turned back towards the Kitchen, "The tea is dripping onto the floor."

Mousse down at the puddle of tea that was collecting on the floor. The elder was right, it was time to clean up the mess. "Hey, old Ghoul…"

"Yes, child?"

"Can you do without me for the next few nights?"

"That depends, why?"

"I have a promise to keep…" the boy said softly.

A small hand rested sympathetically on his shoulder. No, the last few days would not be boring at all, "and miles to go before you sleep, I'm afraid… miles to go before you sleep."


End file.
